A World of Crests and Creatures
by DarkHelm145
Summary: In this world, humans and strange creatures fight side by side in great battles. However, that time has long since passed. Now, in a more peaceful world, students gather at Garreg Mach Monastery to learn about both war and battle with the strange creatures at their side. With the arrival of two new professors, a dark shadow begins to loom over the monastery and the world.
1. Chapter 1

A World of Crests and Creatures

Chapter 1

How They Came To This Land

_Many years ago…_

Two armies met at a field. Rain poured, muddying the ground and punctuating the atmosphere. The two armies consisted of armored warriors brandishing swords, shields, lances, and axes. However, with them were strange creatures that also wore armor. They all had different appearances. Some looked more humanoid, others were more beast like in appearance. They also looked as if they were tied to a particular element or state of being. The creatures that bore armor had either humanoid appearances or their bodies could easily be wounded, while others bore natural armor that was almost impenetrable.

With the flash of lighting and crack of thunder as a cue, both armies rushed towards each other. Their weapons drawn, intent on defeating the other. Some commanded the creatures to attack specific targets, others locked in battle with the opposing forces' creatures. Both man and beast knew they were fighting and complex commands were not necessary.

At the forefront of one army stood a green haired woman. It was obvious by her presence that she led one of the armies. At her side was an orange dragon with small wings and two antenna on its head. She was equipped with a curving sword and small shield, which she deftly used to cut down anyone who challenged her. She commanded the orange with expertise, not wasting any time for it to defeat large hordes of enemies. The opposing forces's creatures tried to defeat it, but they too fell to the dragon's might.

As the battle continued, the grey sky seemed to turn red. It caught the attention of everyone on the battlefield making them stare towards the sky. The green haired woman's brows furrowed in angry recognition. The red then seemed to fall from the sky, with lighting behind it. The light then crashed to the ground causing a blaze and incinerating anyone caught in it. When the flames dissipated, an older man appeared kneeling in front of a sword that seemed to be made of bone. Behind him was a creature, skin a darker orange, draconic in appearance, with a fire tipped tail. However, that was not what made him menacing. Flying above the man and dragon was a pitch black creature. It's white eyes glowed, as well as its blue tipped horn. It's strong wings kept it in the air, as well as the electricity circling it. At the ends of its arms were a sort of webbed formations with claws underneath it. It's most striking feature was its tail which looked cone shaped and glowed blue; likely generating its power.

The man quickly surveyed the battlefield and with a simple lift of his hand, the creatures launched themselves into battle. Both creatures decimated anything in their path with flames and electricity. The woman then ordered her own dragon into battle, but she knew hers would be no match for the pitch black creature. With a yell, she pointed her sword towards the sky and in the distance something seemed to roar.

Cloaked in flames, a pure white creature appeared on the battlefield. Compared to the black creature, the white one was slimmer in appearance. Its arms were also its wings, which glowed red with fire. Its tail was similar to the black creature's, except it was not pointed, from it fire burst. The woman then pointed her sword toward the black creature, which already had its eyes on the white one. Understanding its orders, the white creature launched into battle against the black creature; while the two smaller dragons battled each other.

The man and the woman locked eyes and knew they were each others opponents. The woman sprinted towards the man, while the man readied his blade. However, the blade seemed to segment and the man used the sword as a whip. The woman used the shield to block the first strike and continued her charge. The man used the sword-whip again, this time coiling around the woman's sword. The woman stopped her advance and tried to get her sword free from the coil. However, the man tried to pull the woman towards him and with his superior strength he was succeeding. The woman then used a split second opening to pull hard and managed to get the sword free from the man's grip. The woman discarded her sword and shield and sprinted towards the man, drawing a dagger in the process.

The man's orange dragon saw that its master was in danger and flew towards him, readying a large blast of fire. However, it was cut off by the woman's dragon who fired an electrical strike point blank. Before the attack fired, the orange dragon fired the strongest fire attack it could muster. The two attacks collided, causing an explosion of fire and electricity. The two dragons fell from the sky and crashed to the ground, unmoving.

The black and white creatures continued their battle, neither had the upper hand. Both launched fire and electricity at the other, attacks the made even the sky shake. The two creatures noticed each other's master were in danger, but knew their battle was of priority.

The woman tackled the man and held her dagger in the air. She then brought it down, cursing the man as she repeatedly stabbed him. Blood soaked the woman's armor, clothes, and hands. When she knew the man was dead, she tossed the dagger aside. With a final crack of thunder and flash of lightning, the rain ceased and the clouds parted revealing the setting sun.

The two creatures roared, realizing that the battle was over. The two then began to curl into a ball and slowly transformed into black and white spheres respectively. Around the woman and the man, the battle had stopped. Both sides had stopped fighting since the two leaders met in combat.

The woman then picked up the man's blade and held it close, blood staining her cheek.

"He's gone now, Mother," the woman said.

"My lady," a soldier said holding out the black and white spheres.

"Thank you for protecting me, Reshiram," the woman said kindly as she caressed the white sphere.

"What shall we do with the black one?" the soldier asked.

The woman glanced back to the man's corpse, then back to the black sphere. He expression hardened at the sight of the sphere, because of the memories it triggered. "Seal it away. Make sure no one can summon it."

The soldier nodded and turned away from the woman. She stood up and walked towards the still unmoving forms of the two dragons. She placed a hand on the lighter orange dragon, feeling as it took its final breaths. She had a sad smile on her face, knowing the dragon would not rise again.

"Thank you, Dragonite. You were an excellent partner, and an even better friend."

The dragon let out a low groan before taking its final breath. The woman could feel the tears as they fell, the loss of her friend was even more painful than she had anticipated. She turned to the other orange dragon, sadness washed over the anger she felt towards the creature. Despite its master, the creature was not deserving of such hatred. She placed a hand on the dragon, also knowing it would not rise again.

"Despite who your master was, you served him well. It's a pity your life must end here too," the woman said in a sorrowful tone.

The dragon also let out a groan, as it attempted to roar, and let out its final breath as well.

"What shall we do with them?" another soldier asked.

"We'll bury both. It's the least we can do for them," the woman said.

The battle was over and enemy was vanquished. Since Reshiram had turned into a sphere it likely meant she would not have been needed for a long time. The woman knew it would be a long time before Reshiram would return. Reshiram had always protected the people of her family, so she knew it would return when it needed protection again.

—

_Many years later…_

A young boy ran through a forest. He pushed aside brush and branches as to not impede his run. He looked back, but no one was there. However, he knew he was being chased. He had to get away. He just had to. Where he had been, was a place no one wanted to be.

_I'm sorry sisters. I can't stay._

He continued to run in whatever direction was needed for him to get away from his pursuers.

The boy was about seven years old. He had long, light green hair tied in a small pony tail. He wore a simple white shirt with a black one underneath. He wore white pants as well. However, it was torn as he was running through forest brush. His skin was cut too and he bled from cuts that were deeper than others, as well as his feet due to running barefoot. Around his neck was a necklace, where a small black sphere dangled from. He had it for as long as he could remember. As well as a cube that he had to leave behind.

It felt like he had been running for days, which was true. He barely had time to eat, much less rest. His pursuers were intent on catching him. When he reached the edge of the forest, he felt like it would only be a matter of time before he was caught. However, the edge of the forest was not an open field, it was the edge of a cliff. At the bottom was a river. The boy had no idea what to do next. He knew his partner would stay by his side, but his pursuers were bound to catch up.

"There he his!" a voice from the forest called out.

The boy looked down and he could feel the vertigo begin to creep up.

_It's my only option. I'm sorry, sisters._

The boy then leapt off the cliff, plummeting to the waters below. He could hear his pursuers say something, but he could not hear them. The adrenaline and fear made him deaf. The boy collided with the water and he black out.

_Someone, please. Help._

—-

"We'll set up camp here. See if you can find anything edible," a man said to the group he was with.

"Yes, sir!" those present said.

The man was Jeralt Eisner, and older man with blonde hair and many scares. He was the leader of a mercenary group. After finishing their recent employment, the mercenaries were returning to the more populated regions of Fodlan. Their assignment had taken them a lot farther away than he had anticipated, but the pay was better than most jobs they took.

After removing the equipment he kept on his horse, a Mudsdale, he began to set up a portion of the camp. Off to the side was his daughter, Byleth, who sat under a tree, while an Eevee she had befriended during the mission played around her. He watched her with a worried expression. She looked like she was playing with the fluffy creature, but her expression said other wise. It was blank, devoid of any emotion. It had worried him that she was like that, and he made an effort to try and figure out what emotion she was likely feeling. However, he knew that she had connected to the Eevee the moment she met it. He smiled and walked over to the two.

"You two seem to be having fun," Jeralt said with a chuckle.

Byleth looked up and nodded. That was something else that worried him. The girl barely spoke. She would either nod or give very short answers to questions.

"Eevee!" the creature said as it nuzzled Jeralt.

Jeralt bent down and pet the creature. He was glad Byleth had Eevee. He had assumed because Byleth was so emotionless, it would be difficult for her to make friends. Eevee, however, bonded with her almost immediately.

"Jeralt, sir! We found something you need to see," a mercenary called out.

Jeralt nodded and turned to Byleth. "Stay here with Eevee."

Byleth nodded and picked up Eevee as she got closer to her.

Satisfied, Jeralt stood up grabbed his lance, told Mudsdale to keep watch over Byleth, and followed the mercenary.

"What did you find?" Jeralt asked.

"You're not going to believe it."

The two made it to the river bank, where a group of his mercenaries were huddled around something. Jeralt rose an eyebrow, whatever they were huddled around seemed to worry them.

"What did you find?"

The group looked up to see their leader walking towards them.

"We found this boy," one mercenary said as he stepped aside.

Jeralt saw the boy in question and rushed to his side. He looked up to those gathered, and they knew he wanted to know what had happened.

"He's alive, but cold. When he spit up water, he mumbled something before passing out."

"Get back to camp and get a fire going. Try to find as much food as possible, this kid will likely wake up hungry," Jeralt ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

As the group dispersed, Jeralt look back towards the boy. He wondered where he had come from. If he was found at the bank of the river, it was likely he had drifted down it. Jeralt was surprised the boy was even alive. However, he was still prepared to face the worst. Jeralt let out a sigh and picked up the boy.

"Just where did you come from, kid?" Jeralt asked a loud.

As night fell, everyone seemed more relaxed since they found the boy. For some reason, Byleth did not keep her eyes off the boy. Her Eevee seemed to understand as well and curled up next to the boy to help with the warmth. Jeralt still had to wonder where the boy came from. There were not too many villages near by, not this far away from a more populated city. He hoped the boy was not dead, the steady breathing of the boy proved he was still alive. He turned his attention back to his mercenary band, wondering where their next stop would be.

Byleth, meanwhile, continued to stare at the boy. His sudden appearance had thrown everyone for a loop, even her. She also noticed, since the boy's appearance, a Pidgey had perched itself on the nearest tree and stared at the boy. Her eyes darted to the Pidgey again and it had not moved. The sound of a groan made her attention shift back to the boy. His face scrunched up as his eyes slowly began to open. Byleth tugged on her father's sleeve to get his attention.

Jeralt turned to his daughter to see that the boy was beginning to wake. The boys eyes then shot open and he sat straight up.

"Where am I?" the boy asked aloud.

He turned his head to where the fire was coming to see a large group of people. His expression instantly changed from confusion to absolute fear. He quickly stood up and backed away from everyone.

"Who are you people? Don't take me back to Pl-" Before the boy could finish, he began to cough violently.

"Easy kid. We found by the river bank, unconscious."

"Please don't take me back," the boy said in between coughs.

"We don't even know where you came from," Jeralt replied.

The boy scanned everyone. The fact that they wore armor and held weapons did not ease his fears. Jeralt noticed this, he could tell the boy did not believe him. He had not idea what place could instill so much fear in a boy so young.

"Are you hungry?" a feminine voice asked.

Jeralt looked down to see Byleth walking towards the boy. It had caught everyone by surprise that she had spoken to a stranger, much less ask a question.

The boy gave a fearful nod and slowly relaxed a bit.

"We can give you some food, and when we're all calm, we can figure things out," Jeralt said.

The boy nodded hesitantly, but kept his distance. However, the only person who could get the closest were Byleth and Eevee, though Eevee was the only one that could reach him. It seemed like the only thing that could get close to him was a creature. Byleth understood that and kept her distance.

When the boy seemed satisfied, Jeralt cleared his throat to get the boy's attention. He jumped in fright and turned away from the man. Jeralt let out a sigh, but still turned to face the boy.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions. If there's any you don't want to answer, just nod no," Jeralt said in a soft tone.

The nod nodded hesitantly. It was a start.

"My name is Jeralt Eisner. What's yours?"

"N," the boy said.

"'N?'" Jeralt asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's the only name they gave me," N answered.

Jeralt released a breath. "Right. Then who's 'they?'"

N shook his head. It was obvious that whoever 'they' were were the ones that caused him to be so afraid.

"Where do you come from?"

"I've always lived in the forest," N answered.

N sure was strange. He was a different kind of strange compared to his own daughter. His fear of someone caused him to be guarded.

"Did you live alone?"

"No. I always had Zorua."

"Zorua?"

On cue the Pidgey that was perched on the branch screeched. All attention was turned to the bird, and they watched as it jumped down and glowed in a purple-black color. In front of N landed a black and red colored fox, ready to defend him. Byleth's Eevee got in front of her partner, ready to defend her.

Jeralt nodded. "I see now. Your partner is a Zorua."

N nodded and called for Zorua. The fox walked to N, but made sure that it was ready to defend him.

"That little guy is rare. You don't see too many of them. It's the first time I've seen one," Jeralt said.

"I didn't know," N replied.

"N, I'm going to say something you're not going to like, but I need you to listen to me," Jeralt said.

N hesitantly nodded, while Zorua seemed to get more defensive.

"It's obvious to me that you were running away from whoever 'they' are," Jeralt began to say.

Before he could continue, N whimpered and turned away. Jeralt expected the reaction, but continued to speak.

"The scapes and scratches we bandaged were how we knew."

Jeralt stopped and let his words sink in. N was still panicking, his breathing had gotten faster and Zorua was ready to attack even without his master's orders.

"If you want, you can stay with us. We'll protect you and Zorua. You can stay with us until you feel ready to go off on your own, or you stay and join our mercenary band. It's up to you."

N turned towards Jeralth, eyes filled with tears. "Are you being serious?"

Jeralt nodded. "Absolutely. I can't let a scared boy like you be alone. I can train you so you learn how to defend yourself, you won't have be scared any more."

N relaxed a bit, something Zorua caught and calmed down but was ready to strike if necessary.

"I'll try to not be a burden," N said.

Jeralt chuckled. "Trust me, kid, you'll do just fine."

—-

The sound of swords clanging rang out through the camp. At the same time, sounds of small explosions came from the same direction. To those unaware, it sounded like a battle was taking place. However, for those in Jeralt's mercenary band, it was a common occurrence.

Away from the camp, N and Byleth sparred. At the same time, their partners also sparred. The two had made it a regular training session to spar against each other as it would keep their skills sharp. Compared to Byleth, N was not that good with a sword. There were many occasions of her beating him. He did manage to win a few here and there, but if anyone was keeping count, Byleth had the better win-loss record. However, whenever Zorua and Eevee spared, Zorua was the one that usually came out the victor. Just like N and Byleth, sometimes Eevee would be the victor.

Byleth managed to disarm N and pointed her blade at N. N raised his hands in defeat and chuckled.

"I yield. Looks like you win again."

Byleth nodded and sheathed her sword.

"However, looks like Zorua wins again," N said.

Byleth looked over to see Zorua with a paw on Eevees head, pinning her. With a satisfied snicker, Zorua removed the paw and trotted over to N. Byleth, meanwhile, picked up Eevee and gently rubbed her head. Eevee cooed at the gesture.

"Feeling better already?" N said as he walked towards her, Zorua perched on his shoulder.

"Yes," Byleth said.

N sighed. He had been with Jeralt's mercenary band for a little bit over a decade now and he still could not get Byleth to speak more than a short sentence. He had gotten used to her expressionless face, as he managed to pick up on her subtleties that signaled to an emotion, but getting her to talk was a lot harder.

It had been a little more than decade since N had joined Jeralt's mercenary band. He had become part of the family, as close as they could get to one. His combat skills were not the best, so he more than content when he was relegated to the healer of the group. That did not mean he was allowed to no longer learn the sword. Jeralt made sure he was always practicing.

"How're you not even panting? We've been at it for a few hours now," N said.

Byleth shrugged. "I don't get tired as easily."

"That's an understatement," N muttered.

The two walked back to camp, where the other mercenaries were preparing for the night. The two had not realized it had gotten so late. The two helped where ever they could, as not many had creatures to assist. Only N, Byleth, and Jeralth had a partner. Zorua would turn into a human in order to help as well. Meanwhile, Eevee would give emotional support. Most of the heavier lifting was done by Jeralt's Mudsdale.

When night fell, everyone relaxed and enjoyed each others company. For N, it made him forget those horrible memories that would back from time to time. N had changed a lot since he started traveling with him. For one, he had grown taller, being about the same height as Jeralt. His hair had grown a lot longer, but he always made sure to cut it; however, he liked it long. All his training made him bulk up a bit, he no longer the lanky kid who Jeralt and the others found.

As N sat by the fire, while entertaining Zorua, he cleaned his armor, making sure it was in pristine condition. He wore a simple chest plate, a bit of armor on his forearms. He also wore armored pants and boots. Luckily his armor was pretty flexible, so he never felt hampered by it in battle. He opted to not wear armored gloves and wore simple, black fingerless gloves. Under the armor he wore a long sleeved white shirt with a black undershirt and long white pants. Minus the armor, he wore the same clothes as when he first joined.

Zorua let out a yawn as it seemed done playing. N could not help but chuckle.

"Getting tired?"

The fox nodded and curled up next to N's leg.

"What did he say?" a voice asked.

N looked back to see Byleth standing behind him. She was one of the few that believed could actually speak to the creatures.

"He just agreed," N replied.

She sat next N and both simply stared at the fire. Eevee joined them soon after and fell asleep next to Zorua.

Byleth had also matured considerably. When N first met her he could have sworn she was a boy. That did not mean she could not kick his ass, because she surely did on multiple occasions. However, N did question her armor choice and fashion sense, but whenever he did she would simply respond with 'it works.' N regarded Byleth as an older sister, at least he thought she was older than him. For some reason neither her or Jeralt seemed to know each others ages. He questioned it at first, but learned to just forget about it. Despite his new family, he could help but remember the people he left behind when he had escaped.

The thought made him feel saddened. Something Byleth caught and lightly nudged him.

"Sorry. Old habits," N replied.

"Do miss them? I hear you call out names at night," Byleth asked.

N nodded. "I do. I wish I wasn't so afraid to face my past."

Byleth remained silent and faced the fire that was beginning to die.

"Enough about me. Have you been having those dreams again?" N asked.

Byleth nodded in response.

"Which was it this time? The battle or the girl?"

"The girl," Byleth answered.

"Can you describe her to me?" N asked. He always asked the question when she had that dream. He knew it was pointless, she would never describe her, but he had to try. At the very least get her talking.

"I don't remember."

N sighed and hung his head, yet another failure. He would have to try again another time. However, he realized something as they spoke, her dreams were increasing in frequency.

"When was the last time you dreamed the girl?" N asked.

"Last night."

"And the battle?"

"Two nights ago."

"So they are increasing in frequency," N mused. His mind began to race, wondering the dreams meant anything. One time she had described a pitch black creature and a white one. Unknown to him, Byleth stared at him. He was broken from his thoughts when he saw her.

"Sorry, I was doing it again, huh?" N asked as he put a hand behind his head.

Byleth gave a small smile, something that rarely appeared on her face. The sight of it warmed N, more so than he cared to admit.

"Why don't we turn in for the night? It's getting late as is," N said.

Byleth nodded. She stood up gently picked up the sleeping Eevee and walked towards her tent. N turned back to the fire, his mind racing with theories again. He waved the thoughts out of his head, he would save that kind of thinking for another time.

N turned to the sleeping Zorua and gently pet it. The fox let out a gently purr, which made N smile. He gently picked up the sleeping fox and walked to his tent. Knowing Jeralt, they would have to rise early in the morning to continue their trek.

Just as N had predicted, Jeralt was the first awake and the one to wake everyone else.

"Just once I'd like to sleep in," N mumbled to himself.

N was used to the early rising the group did on a daily bases. He already had his tent fully packed before breakfast. He put his on his armor and his back back and met up with the rest of the band. A quick meal and they were on the road again. With Zorua perched on his shoulder, N walked with the group to the next destination. Above them flew a flock of birds, N was sure they were Unfeazant, but the sun cast a show on the birds undersides.

"Staring at the birds again?" a gruff voice asked.

N turned his head to see Jarelt next to him, riding his Mudsdale.

N nodded in response. "It helps me figure out where we're going. Speaking of, where are we going?"

"I sent a group up ahead to Remire Village. They came back saying they're willing to hire us as the village has been being attacked by thieves," Jeralt explained.

"Something a bit more routine," N mused.

"You could say that," Jeralt said.

He looked ahead to see Byleth walking in front of him. He wondered if N had gotten her to talk about the dreams she's been having, or anything at all.

"Hey, N," Jeralt began to say.

"She didn't say much," N said, cutting off the older man.

"Don't tell me you can read minds too?" Jeralt said with a smile.

"Nothing like that," N said with a chuckle, "I just saw your gaze fall on Byleth. I know that she feels a bit more comfortable around me, but even then it's hard to get a read on her."

"Does her Eevee say anything?" Jeralt asked.

"Eevee's worried too, but it's not something she isn't used to," N answered.

"Thanks, N. You being around I think has helped a lot," Jeralt said.

N shook his head. "It's only because you found me and took me in. I'm just trying to repay that kindness."

"Damn, kid, don't need you getting sappy on me," Jeralt said with a chuckle.

The two laughed as they continued to walk. Unbeknownst to either of them Byleth had over heard their conversation and a small smile formed on her face.

On the horizon, Remire Village came into view. It not be long know before their next assignment, but none of them expected what waited for them there.

**AN: Here we go with a new story. This time it's a Fire Emblem 3 Houses x Pokemon crossover. The reason for this is because I absolutely loved playing Three Houses. It was my first ever Fire Emblem game and it was awesome. The reason for the Pokemon crossover is because of fanart I found on Twitter and thought this would be fun to write. I'll link the art at the end of AN so you can see which Pokemon each character will have.**

**Now for some clarifications. First off, why I'm using N. The reason for that is because I was originally planning to write this story as a twins AU for Byleth, but I could not think if a replacement name for either of them. For that reason N became the replacement for Male Byleth. The plan was always to give Female Byleth Eevee and Male Byleth Zorua, so that worked out. Also, they will not get together. N really does see Byleth only as an older sister. I'll be diving into their relationship as the story continues.**

**Second, I'll be taking a lot of elements from the Black and White games (if that was not obvious enough). Those are my favorite Pokemon games and thought that parts of the story would work for this one. While this story will be a retelling of the Three Houses story, N's story from Black and White will influence many of the events. Also, I drew a lot of influence from the opening flashback from the Lucario movie, especially for this chapters opening scene. I thought that would be perfect for this story. **

**Finally, the Pokemon. Let me get this out of the way, they will not be referred to as Pokemon. I'll probably write small jokes as to why no one calls them that, but they will never be explicitly stated as such. They'll always be referred to as beasts, creatures, and partners. Pokemon from every generation will likely appear (that includes Sword and Shield). It'll be to diversify a bit the characters and their teams. Speaking of teams, I haven't decided if the characters will have a party of six. I'll likely cap it a three, since Pokeballs have yet to be invented.**

**With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this story and look forward to its future. If you're enjoying remember to follow, favorite, and/or review if you haven't yet. Stay tuned for the next chapter.**

**Pokemon fan art:**

/beaniecapprints/status/1174419962292686849

/eisorus/status/1174197617334640642


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Encounters at Dawn

N stirred awake. He opened his to see that the sun had yet to rise, the moon still seemed high in the sky. He sighed as he rubbed his eyes. The first time he had been able to sleep in a bit, he was awake before dawn. Zorua was awake soon after him. He jumped off the bed and rubbed itself against N's leg. N smiled and bent down to pet the black fox.

The mercenary band had arrived in Remire Village a few days ago for their job. However, it seemed that the bandits they were hired to protect the villagers from would never appear. The band spent most of their time on patrols and training. One of the perks of staying in a village was no tents and staying in an inn. His room was sparsely decorated. A bed and a desk was all it had, along with a window.

Zorua jumped onto N's shoulder as the young man began to stand. He sat down on his bed to put on his boots. He might as well check on the nightly watch. N exited his room and began to walk down the stairs. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he overheard muffled voices speaking in the common area. He walked closer towards the room and could make out Jeralt's voice. Hearing a bit of the conversation, he realized he was talking with Byleth and they seemed to be speaking about Byleth's recurring dreams. He was able to make out that the girl that seemed to recur in her dreams seemed to speak to Byleth in her last dream.

Before he could enter in the conversation, the door to the inn slammed open. N turned to see a member of the mercenary band enter. He rushed over to his side, as he seemed a bit panicked.

"What's wrong?"

"The bandits, they're here," he replied.

"So they finally showed," N muttered.

"There's more. They seemed to be chasing a group of people, teens from what I could make out."

N rose an eyebrow. Why would the bandits be chasing teens? He pushed those thoughts aside and turned back to the member of the band. "I'll tell Jeralt. Get every else assembled."

He nodded. "Alright."

The member nodded and ran out the door. N looked towards Zorua, who looked ready to fight. N let out a breath and knocked the common room's doorframe, alerting Jeralt and Byleth to his presence.

"What's up, kid?" Jeral asked.

"Bandits are here. I've already got everyone assembled," N answered.

Jeralt nodded and turned to Byleth. "We can keep talking about this later."

Byleth nodded in response and turned to watch as Jeralt ran outside.

N walked up to Byleth and placed a hand on her shoulder. He smiled kindly towards her.

"You heard?" Byleth asked.

"Nothing gets past you," N said with a laugh. "A bit. Glad you talked to Jeralt. Now come on, we got some bandits to take down."

When the two arrived outside, Jeralt was talking with three teenagers. N rationalized that these were the teenagers that were mentioned to him. Two of the teens were male with the other a female. One of the males was blonde with blue eyes, pale skin, and wore a uniform with a blue motif. At his side was a small blue and black furred creature. Its tail was adorned with a yellow star. The other male had brown hair with grey colored eyes, darker skin, and his uniform was adorned with yellow. In his arms he carried a pink colored deer looking creature that looked wounded. The female had grey hair with light purple eyes, paler skin compared to the blue eyed boy, and her uniform was adorned with red. On her shoulder a small, fluffy bird was perched.

"Please forgive us for just appearing like this. We wouldn't bother you if the situation were not dire," the blue eyed boy said, adding a bow.

"What're a bunch of kids doing at this hour?" Jeralt asked.

"More importantly," N said as he walked towards the brown haired boy, "what happened to your partner."

"I was just about to get to that. We're being pursed by a group of bandits. We tried to fight them off, but you see what happened," the boy said gesturing to the other boy.

"Yeah, they roughed up my Deerling good," the brown haired boy added.

"I can only hope that you'd be so kind as to lend your support," the blue eyed boy continued.

N sized up the teens. They were likely only a year or two younger than him. However, they were armed with weapons, so it was likely they had experience in battle. He had heard about a school that teaches battle for people of the three nations of Fodlan, so it was possible the teens came from there. But how they got so far from there seemed strange to N.

"Those must've been the bandits we were hired to protect the villagers from, but never showed," Jeralt mused. "I had assumed they had already left this area by now."

"It's true. They attacked us while we rested at out camp," the girl said.

"We were separated from our companions and we're out numbered. They're after our lives and our gold," the brown haired boy added.

"I'm impressed you're all so calm in your situation," Jeralt said as he scanned each of the teens with a glance. "Wait… that uniform…"

Before Jeralt could continue, a member of the band called out to Jeralt. "Bandits spotted just outside the village! There's a lot of them."

"Looks like they followed you all the way here. We can't abandon this village now, especially when they originally hired us to protect them from bandits," Jeralt said.

He then turned to Byleth and N. "Come on, let's move. Hope you two are ready."

Byleth and N nodded in response. N then turned back to the boy with the Deerling.

"I'll focus on healing you all. I can also heal up your Deerling, but you'll need to give it to me," N said to the teen.

"Wait, you're a healer?" the teen asked.

N smiled. "Only healer in the band. You can trust me."

The teen turned his gaze towards Jeralt, who nodded in agreement.

"Alright. I'm trusting you to heal up Deerling and us if necessary," the boy said.

He carefully gave Deerling to N, who made sure to agitate the creature. He placed his hand on it and slowly began to mend its wounded leg by pouring some of the energy he had amassed.

"Zorua."

The black fox perked its head at its name being said.

"I want you to fight alongside Byleth. She'll need your help," N said.

The black fox nodded and trotted over to Byleth's side. Byleth looked down to see Zorua next to her, and she looked back towards N.

"Don't worry. He'll follow your commands," N said.

Byleth nodded and followed the group into battle. N waited a moment longer and followed the rest. He knew he would have to fight, but protecting the others and Deerling was now his top priority. He could see and hear skirmishes breaking out. The clashing of steel was all that could be heard. It was likely that none of the bandits had creatures at their side. Whenever he saw a wounded member of the band and rush to their side to quickly heal them. Upon recovery, they would simply thank N and rush back into battle. If N had his way, he would try to find a way to end fighting without all the violence, but that was always difficult; almost impossible.

As he ran across the field he could see Byleth and three teens on the front lines, pushing their way towards the bandits leader. He was caught up in watching them that he only narrowly avoided getting his head chopped off. He dodged the swing, and made sure to protect Deerling. He looked up to see one of the bandits making his way towards him, but stopped when he saw what N was carrying.

"Well, well, what ya got there? One of those creatures?"

N's brows furrowed in anger. The bandit was likely someone who'd use a creature for nefarious purposes. "You won't touch it."

"Pretty sure the boss's creature defeated that one in an instant, if it was the same one," the bandit said with a smug shrug. "Though, I could take it off your hands."

"You won't touch it," N repeated.

"Then I'll take it from your corpse!" the bandit yelled as he rushed towards N, sword in the air.

N was quick to react. He dodged the swing and drew his sword, using the arm that was not carrying Deerling. Only using one hand to carry it, the creature began to feel a lot heavier. In any other situation he would rather not have to carry a wounded creature and fight at the same time, but it seemed luck did not favor him.

The bandit charged again and swung his sword, aiming for N's head. N blocked the initial strike and got back into a defensive stance. He had to remain on the defensive, as he was carrying the Deerling and attacking might cause an opening in his defense. Not that he expected a bandit to find it, but he did not want to take the chance. The bandit continued to swing his sword and N blocked each strike. The bandit's attacks were becoming very easy to read, so when he went for an over head strike, N was ready to counter. When their blades clashed, N pushed forward causing the bandits to slightly lose his balance. N used that opening to cut across the bandit's stomach, killing him. The man dropped dead and N let out a breath. He was no stranger to taking a life, but it did mean taking one sat well in his stomach.

When he turned away from the corpse, he saw the blue eyed boy coming to a stop in front of him. At his side was his blue and black furred partner. He looked past N to see the body of the dead bandit and nodded.

"I see. I came here to assist you, as you were fighting while holding on to Deerling, but it seems my assistance was not required."

N chuckled lightly in response. "Thanks for coming either way. If there was more than one then I'd definitely need help."

Before the teen could respond, the sound of swords unsheathing filled the air. N and the teen looked around to see a group of bandits surrounding them. The two put their backs against each other, as now they had to fight together.

"I hope you're good with that lance of yours," N said.

"If your swordsmanship is as good as I just saw, then this shouldn't be a problem," the boy replied.

N chuckled, at least the teen knew when to be a bit funny. N steeled himself and kept Deerling close to his chest. The creature had yet to fully heal, and even if it could fight, he would not make it do so.

Several of the bandits charged at once. Knowing the blonde would need space to properly use his lance, N separated from him and engaged the three bandits the charged towards him. He blocked each of their strikes deftly, not allowing for their swords to interlock for more than a second. It was obvious to N that the bandits wanted that, they wanted for the interlocking in order for another to deal the killing blow.

N continued to fight defensively, however, he was beginning to tire and slow down. He needed to find an opening in order to attack. At least taking down one would lower the burden on his stamina. He found his opening when the three took a step back to reposition themselves. N charged towards one of the bandits and rammed his sword into his opponent's stomach. The action caught the other bandits by surprise and stood still for a moment. N removed his sword from the bandit's stomach and prepared to attack the next bandit. The one he targeted next had managed to recover from the surprise and was able to block N's strike. His defense was weak, however, and N was able to knock the sword out of the bandit's hand. He then slashed across the bandit's neck, killing him.

Before he could turn to the next bandit, a shadow loomed over him with a sword held high. N's eyes widened in fear, the final bandit had managed to get behind him.

_Shit, he got behind me. I'm dead. Me and this Deerling are dead, _N thought as the shadow of the sword swung down.

However, N did not meet his end. He heard something whizz by above him and lodge itself in the bandit's head. From the shadow, it seemed as if it was an arrow. He looked over his shoulder to see the bandit fall dead behind him. N let out a relieved sigh and looked ahead to see the brown haired teen jogging towards him, bow in hand.

"I'm assuming that was you," N said.

"Saved your ass back there, huh?" the teen replied.

"Indeed you did. Thanks for that."

"Claude, you sure took your time assisting us," the blonde said as he jogged towards them.

N looked towards the brown haired teen, who he now knew the name of: Claude. Though introductions had to wait, as there were still skirmishes in the surrounding area. N's mind then drifted towards Byleth, hoping she was holding her own amongst everything. He knew she knew her way around a sword, but he could not help but worry.

"What about your other friend?" N asked.

"Edelgard? Not sure. We got separated," Claude replied.

"I see. We should find her and my friend before things get too dire," N said.

"I wouldn't worry about Edelgard. She can hold her own," the blonde said.

N nodded in response. "I don't doubt that, but anything can happen on the battlefield."

"By the way, how's Deerling?" Claude asked.

"It's still healing. I wouldn't use it in battle yet," N answered.

"I see. Man, that guy's Machoke was way too strong," Claude said with a groan.

N's expression then paled, something the two teens caught.

"Did you say Machoke?" N asked.

Claude nodded. "What's wrong?"

"Byleth's in trouble," N said as he broke out into a sprint.

"Hey, wait up!" Claude called out.

"Come on," the blonde said.

Claude nodded in response and the two followed N.

—

Across the battlefield, Byleth was face to face with the leader of the bandits. With her was the grey haired girl. The two had worked together to get to him. The leader's eyes darted between the two, but his gaze seemed fixed on the grey haired girl.

"You with the blank stare, out of my way!" the leader said as he rushed towards them. However, he charged directly towards the grey haired girl. "Machoke, take down that one!"

The creature at his side, humanoid in shape but with a more reptilian like face, set its gaze on Byleth and charged. Byleth readied her sword, but knew this fight was meant for her partner and Zorua.

"Eevee and Zorua, attack."

The two creatures followed their directions and attacked Machoke. However, their attacks proved to be no hinderance towards Machoke, as it continued to lumber towards Byleth.

"Ha! Your beasts are weak compared to my Machoke. Crush them and her! Use Brick Break!"

"Rufflet, help out!" the grey haired girl called out.

The bird she had turned towards Machoke and flew towards it, ready to attack. "Use Ariel Ace!"

A blue-white aura surrounded the bird as it got closer to the Machoke. When the attack connected, Machoke took more damage compared to when Zorua and Eevee attacked.

The bandit leader growled in frustration. "Machoke, crush the bird too!"

The muscular reptile turned its attention to Rufflet and tried to swat it out of the sky. However, Rufflet was faster and avoided most of Machoke's swings.

Byleth then found her opening to launch an attack on the Machoke.

"Eevee, Swift! Zorua, Fury Swipes!"

Byleth knew it would not deal that much damage to the Machoke, but small increments of damage was better than no damage. Machoke began to feel overwhelmed. The constant attacks from the smaller creatures was pushing it back.

The leader of the bandits seemed distracted because his Machoke was being pushed back, so Byleth used the opening to attack him. Realizing that he was about to be attacked, the bandit leader brought up his ax to defend himself. However, he was too slow to properly defend himself causing for his ax to fly from his hands. The bandit leader took a few steps back, but soon after his Machoke stumbled into him causing for both of them to fall.

With the situation seemingly under control, Byleth sheathed her sword and made her way to Zorua and Eevee. Both had sustained damage in the battle, but nothing treatment from N will not fix. However, a sound caught her attention. She turned to see the bandit leader had risen from the ground and was sprinting towards the grey haired girl, ax held high. Byleth sprinted towards her, sword in hand. She pushed the girl aside and could feel the ax inching closer to her back. She knew that this would be the end.

"Byleth, no!" a voice called out.

However, time seemed to freeze just as the ax was about to make contact with her flesh. Then everything began to twist and Byleth was now in some sort of pitch black void. The void felt somewhat familiar. She looked around trying to figure out where she was.

"Honestly! What were you thinking by pulling that stunt?" a female voice said.

Byleth turned to see the green haired girl that was ever present in her dream sitting on a stone throne. Just like her previous dream, she spoke to her again.

"It's like you're trying to get me killed, you fool!" the girl continued. She paused and let out a sigh. "I guess it's fine. After all, if you don't know the value of your own life, then you won't protect it, are you?"

Byleth had not idea what she was talking about. Of course she valued her own life. It was a split second decision. If she had a chance to properly think it through then of course she would make a smarter decision. It was not like she could turn back time.

"Well, then," the girl said a she stood up from the stone throne she sat in, "I guess it's up to me to guide you then, right? You can call me Sothis."

At least Byleth now had a name for the voice inside her head.

"But I'm also known as 'The Beginning.'"

_What's that supposed to mean? _Byleth thought as she raised an eyebrow.

"It seems I was only able to recall my name only just now," Sothis said.

Byleth's brow rose even higher. If this was just her talking to herself, what was the point of it all? She had no idea who or what Sothis was. For as long as she could remember, this girl was just a dream that constantly plagued her.

"With that look on your face you must think I'm some child that can't remember her own name. Well, this child just saved your life! And what does that make you?"

"Grateful, I guess," Byleth replied.

"You should be grateful. You may look like an adult, but do you act like one?"

_What's that supposed to mean? _Byleth said to herself.

"You threw yourself in the path of an ax to save one young girl. Yet all is well as I've stopped the flow of time for now. You would have died had I not intervened," Sothis said.

Byelth's eye's widened. This girl stopped time. She could hardly believe it. Not that it mattered, once time resumed the ax would still collide with her body. "You can stop time?"

"Since you said you were grateful before, I'll let your tone slide. However, I'm not sure how I did that."

Once again, Byleth was left unsure with what to respond. What was the point in freezing time if she was going to die regardless.

"How rude of you to drag me into this! What to do now?" Sothis mused.

"Can you turn back time?" Byleth asked. A part of her actually wondered if it was possible, the other part of her was what gave the question a sarcastic tone; something she had picked up from N.

"While I do not appreciate your tone, that is the most sensible option," Sothis said. Then a yellow circle formed in front of her adorned with different symbols. The one in the middle seemed vaguely familiar to Byleth.

"I do believe it can be done. You truly are troublesome," Sothis said.

_And you're pretty annoying, _Byleth said to herself.

"I cannot wind back time too far, but far enough for you to properly defend yourself. Now, go. You who bears the lightning within. Drift through the flow of time and find the answers that you seek."

_Lighting within? _Byleth thought.

Before she could ask what that meant, the yellow circle began to glow and everything began to shift. Then the events that had just transpired played in reverse and Byleth found herself with Zorua and Eevee again as time resumed. Knowing what she had to do, Byleth spun on her heel and sprinted towards the grey haired girl; just as the lead bandit stood up again. Byleth got into a defensive stance in front of her and expertly parried the bandit's blow, causing him to stumble back. The remaining bandits, and a now awake Machoke, grabbed their leader and ran into the forest.

"Hey! Over there!" a voice called out.

The two turned to see the blonde teen and brown haired teen jogging towards them. Behind them was N.

N lunged forwards and hugged Byleth tightly, something she was not anticipating. He separated from her and she could see the relieved expression his face.

"For a second there I thought you were a goner. Though, how did you know he would stand up again?" N asked.

"I would like to know too," Jeralt said as he rode towards them on his Mudsdale.

Before she could respond, the sound of armor and footsteps caught their attention.

"The Knights of Seiros have arrived! We're here to cut you down for terrorizing our students," a voice called out. "Hey! The thieves are running away. After them!"

Soldiers that were accompanying a man ran past them and into the woods. The man, who seemed to be their leader, walked up to the group gathered. His eyes landed on the three teens in uniform and he let out a relieved sigh.

"The students seem to be unharmed," the man said. His gaze then fell on N, Byleth, and Jeralt, most notably on Jeralt. "And… who's this?"

Jeralt let out a groan, clearly annoyed by the person person in front of them. "Why him?"

The man's eyes then widened in recognization and walked up to Jeralt as if he was an old friend. "Captain Jeralt? It is you! It's been ages! Don't you recognize me? It's Alois, your old right-hand man!"

Jeralt let out another groan. N and Byleth were beginning to share the annoyed sentiments. Alois seemed like the kind of person who could never stop talking.

"It must've been 20 years ago you went missing without a trace," Alois said.

N's gaze shifted towards Jeralt when he heard that. He had asked Jeralt about his past a few times, but never got a straight answer. He had gradually lost interest in the topic, as it had never really felt important for N to know, but Alois's words sparked his curiosity again. N had not realized that the conversation had turned towards him and Byleth, as he was broken from his thoughts by Byleth elbowing him.

"Sorry, lost in thought," N said.

"Are you related to Jeralt? Are you his son?" Alois asked.

"No, not at all," N said as he waved his hand quickly. "I'm just some kid he found by a river bank."

"Well, then, I'd like for you to see the monastery too," Alois said with a hearty laugh.

"Monastery?" N asked.

"Garreg Mach Monastery. It's where we, the Knights of Seiros, established our presence," Alois explained.

"Oh, now I understand. I guess I'll go," N said.

Jeralt let out another groan. It was clear he did not want to go, but there was really nothing he could do about it.

"What's wrong, Captain? You aren't going to run off again are you?" Alois asked.

"Even I wouldn't run from the Knights of Seiros," Jeralt replied.

The walked ahead to talk in private. N turned to Byleth, but she seemed lost in thought, almost as if she was talking to herself. N looked ahead to see Claude waving for them to go to him. This time N nudged Byleth, who was broken from her thoughts.

"They're calling for us," N said as he gestured towards the teens.

Byleth nodded and followed N to where the teens were gathered. When they arrived, the first to speak was the grey-haired girl.

"I appreciate your help. Your skill is beyond question. You're clearly an experienced mercenary. Your father is Jeralt, the Blade Breaker?" the girl asked looking towards Byleth. She continued on to explain Jeralt's reputation among the Knights of Seiros. It was likely that he had gotten that moniker when he was part of them. "Have I missed anything?"

"I didn't even know he was a captain," Byleth answered.

N nodded in agreement. "He never talked about his past too much."

"By the way, thanks for healing up my Deerling," Claude said, turning his attention towards N. Next to him was his Deerling, who was almost fully healed, but healed enough to walk.

"Don't mention it. I just can't stand to see these creatures suffer," N said as he pet Zorua who was perched on his shoulder. "I can tell all of you have a strong bond with your partners. The way they spoke to me confirmed that."

"Wait, can you talk to the creatures?" the girl asked.

"Well if you're coming to the monastery with us, I'd love to hear more about it," Claude said.

"Please, Claude, no one can actually talk to them. He probably is just able to see the strong bonds we have with them," the blonde boy argued.

"It's fine if you don't believe me. Not many people do," N said.

"I didn't mean it to insult you," the blonde apologized.

"Again, don't worry about it. I'm not bothered by it," N said.

"I should also mention that the three of us are students at the Officers Academy at the Monastery," Claude said, bringing the conversation back to its central focus. "We were doing some training exercises with out partners when those bandits attacked. It's part of the reason my Deerling got injured."

"That would be because you ran off," the girl said.

"Got me there. I was the first to make a strategic retreat."

N felt as if everything was almost like a game fro Claude. He could appreciate that to a certain extent, as it helps in keeping positive in certain situations, but seriousness was something that was needed as well.

"Because these two followed me is why those bandits chased after us in the first place," Claude continued.

The three continued to bicker amongst themselves. At least to N it seemed more playful than out right blaming each other for the events that had transpired. It is clear that the three were friends. Though when the blonde and the girl began to argue it felt a bit more personal; something Claude caught on to and attempted levy the situation. Though what he said only seemed to frustrate the girl even more.

"In any case, forgive our digression. I must speak with both of you, if you can spare a moment," the blonde boy said.

"Well we haven't mobilized to leave yet, so we got time," N said.

The blonde first turned to N. "When we fought back to back, it felt as if I could fully trust you in that situation. Even with Deerling close to the chest, you still managed to hold your own. I was really impressed by your technique. I do wish I could learn from it."

N placed a hand behind his neck and began to rub it nervously. The way the blonde praised him felt a bit strange to hear. "Thanks. I felt like I could trust you too. You wield that lance expertly."

"Thank you. Your words humble me." The blonde then turned to Byleth. "The way you held your own against the bandits' leader was truly captivating! You never lost your composure in the moment. It showed me I have still much to learn."

"That's better compliment than I got," N muttered to Byleth.

"Your skills is precisely why I must ask you to lend your services to the Empire," the girl said.

_This one's bold, _N thought.

Before the girl could finish her statement, the blonde stopped her, wanting to continue his own proposition. N also caught the name of the girl: Edelgard. He was sure it was said before, but in the heat of battle he could not commit it to memory.

"The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus is in dire need of exceptional individuals like the two of you. Please, do consider returning to the Kingdom with me," the blonde said.

_These two are trying real hard to recruit us. Will Claude try too? _N thought.

"Whoa, there! You two sure are hasty. Trying to recruit someone you just met. You two have no tact, really," Clause said.

"Where you going to try too?" N asked.

The question had caught the teen off guard and he let out a nervous chuckle. "Well, I was hoping we'd become friends before then."

N chuckled slightly. Never had he anticipated for three nobles trying to recruit them for their respective sides. It amused him to a certain extent. And even if Byleth did not show it, it likely amused her too.

"Anyways, capable stranger where does you allegiance lie?" Claude asked.

N and Byleth looked towards each other, unsure of what to answer. They had never considered leaving the mercenary band. Granted, it was unlikely that they would, but it was somewhat flattering to be considered to be so skilled.

"May I ask, why you're so keen on recruiting us?" N asked.

"Both of you are very capable on the battlefield in your own respects," the blonde said. He turned to N first. "You seem to be very knowledgeable about the creatures that inhabit this world. I'd love to know more, so Shinx and I can become even stronger." The blue and black furred creature at his side let out a growl in response. He then turned to Byleth. "And you're exceptionally skilled with a sword. I'm sure you'd be a wonderful ally."

Claude nodded in agreement. "Basically everything Dimitri just said."

Before either of them could give an answer, Alois intervened in their conversation.

"Alright, that's enough with the small talk. It's time to head back to the monastery."

"Looks like we'll have to pick this up another time," Claude said.

"It was nice meeting you both," Dimitri added.

"I do hope you make the right choice," Edelgard said as she walked away.

When they were out of earshot, N let out a breath. "Man, those three are something else."

He then turned to Byleth, who had the same expression as he before, lost in her own head. N wondered what she could be thinking about. He hoped she really was not talking to herself, but he often could never get a good read on her emotions.

"What did you think of them?" N asked.

Byleth blinked rapidly as she was broken from her thoughts. She then shrugged in response. "Not sure. Each of them have their own characteristics. Good and bad."

N nodded in agreement. "You got that right."

"Hey, you two!" Jeralt called out. "Get your stuff packed we're going to meet up with the Knights by midmorning!"

"You got it!" N called back. He turned to Byleth again. "Looks like we're on the road again."

Byleth nodded in response and the two began walking back into the village in order to get all their gear.

—

Once the band was fully packed and ready to move out, they made their way into the forest in the direction of the monastery. Just as Jeralt had said, they met up with the Knights and the three nobles by midmorning, and they began the trek towards the monastery.

Jeralt walked ahead with the other Knights, catching up with Alois and the other veterans who were present. His Mudsdale rode at his side, while Alois' Onix stood tall next to them. Behind them walked N, Byleth and the three nobles. Zorua, Eevee, and Rufflet were perched on their partner's shoulder, with Deerling and Shix trotting next to theirs.

Claude had asked N more about being able to speak to the creatures. With N explaining that he can hear their voices in his head. Dimitri still could not wrap his head around the idea, while Edelgard seemed to listen closely. N knew Byleth believed that he could speak to them, so when she was asked if she believe, she would nod in agreement. The five learned a great deal about each other. N explained the story of how he was found by Jeralt and the other mercenaries, without going too into detail on why he at the river in the first place; adding how he and Byleth basically grew up together. The three explained their heritages and how they were the next in line to rule their respective territories.

While they explained, N could feel a memory from his past creep up, but he managed to suppress it. When another question about his ability was asked, N put on his usual smile and answered to the best of his abilities. He also explained to Claude how he managed to heal his Deerling.

"The magic I know is focused on healing, so I just carefully poured energy into him. That heals any internal and external damage. Of course there is a limit to what I can heal. Whatever I heal still needs to heal normally. Then I gave it a special berry. Almost every creature enjoys it."

"Cool. You'll have to teach me sometime," Claude replied. The Deerling at his side let out a low grunt as it seemed to smile.

"I can try."

Around early afternoon, the edge of the forest came into view, which meant their destination would soon be in view.

"This will the first visit to the monastery for you both, correct? I'd be happy to show you around?" Dimitri asked.

"It really is Fodlan in a nutshell. The good and the bad," Claude summarized.

"Why's that?" N asked.

"Like it or not, we'll be there soon," Edelgard said, avoiding N's question.

N turned to Edelgard. Her gaze was forwards, but he knew there was more to it. Before he could say anything, the forest came to and end and sunshine rained down on them. N looked ahead to to see a massive monastery a top a mountain. He had never seen such a huge place.

"There it is, Garreg Mach Monastery."

"Woah." Was all N could say.

**AN: And here is chapter two for this story! This chapter basically plays out similar to the events in the game, so not much changes. What does is that there's a Pokemon battle in this one. Pokemon battles in the story will work similar to how they do in the anime, so it'll feel familiar. I know not a lot happens in the Pokemon side of this story, but next chapter is when Pokemon will become much more involved. By the same token, only specific characters will have Pokemon partners. Basically all the main characters and those who the player would normally interact with in Three Houses (Gatekeeper will get a Pokemon, just 'cause I think it'd be funny). **

**I got a few questions in the review by guests, so I'll answer them here. Once asked about an upload schedule. Normally, I don't really have one, due to personal reasons. I am a university student, so most of my time goes to all the work I need to do there. Also, I very frequently get writers block, but with this story I have it mostly mapped out, so I hope not to fall under its spell. I hope to upload new chapters as biweekly as possible, but not promises. A second question was the image I chose for the story, and to be honest I just googled Zekrom years ago and that image popped up. I tired to find its original creator, but to no avail. I hope that answers everything.**

**With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and stay tuned for the next one! If you're enjoying, feel free to follow, favorite, and/or review.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A New Task

Once the group exited the forest, Garreg Mach Monastery came into view. It stood at the top of a mountain, and based on how far the mountain way, the monastery was likely humongous. N marveled at the sight. He had heard about the monastery, but had never actually seen it. He could only wonder what was held within the structure.

The group followed the path towards the monastery and N kept his eyes forwards. He wanted to memorize the view, as it was a new experience for him. The three students next to him could not help but chuckle at N, while Byleth looked on with indifference.

When they reached the main gate, the students said their goodbye's as they walked away. N waved more enthusiastically, while Byleth simply rose her hand. N, Byleth and Jeralt were then escorted by knights farther into the the monastery. As they passed the main gate, Jeralt stopped walking and looked up.

"Rhea's here…" he muttered.

Byleth and N looked up to see a woman staring down towards them. She seemed to stare at all three of them, but her gaze seemed more focused on Byleth than anyone else. N turned towards Byleth to see her staring back towards her. He told himself a joke about a staring contest and tried hard to not to laugh at it. He composed himself as they continued to walk. N spared a glance towards Jeralt, who seemed ever more disgruntled after seeing the woman, Rhea. He had to wonder if something had happened between them.

The three finally arrived at their destination, which seemed to be a large reception hall. N looked around the see several small statutes and other items on stands, and a door that likely led to another room. In front was a chair that almost looked like a throne. Behind it was a stained glass window. The image on it seemed somewhat familiar to N. He narrowed his gaze to get a better view and seemed to see a white creature standing behind a woman.

"It's been years since I last set eyes on this place," Jeralt said, breaking N from his thoughts. "To be forced to see her now…"

"You've been here before?" Byleth asked.

"Do you mean that woman from before, Rhea?" N added.

"I haven't told you this, but many years ago I was a knight here. I reported to the archbishop, Lady Rhea; the woman from before," Jeralt said, answering both questions at once. He went on to explain how the Knights of Seiros were part of the Church of Seiros, the preeminent religion in Fodlan. He also explained how Rhea was the archbishop, therefore its leader.

The sound of footsteps approaching, stopped their conversation. In walked in Rhea. She had green hair which was adorned with a floral headpiece, and wore a white dress with a blue and gold cape draped on her shoulders. Next to her was a man with green hair as well, and wore similar colored clothes to Rhea. N glanced towards his hair, it was green too, but a lighter shade. He absentmindedly grabbed a strand.

"Thank you for your patience, Jeralt. I'm Seteth, an advisor to the archbishop," Seteth said.

"Right. Hello," Jeralt replied.

"It's been a long time, Jeralt. I wonder, was it the will of the goddess that we have another chance to meet?" Rhea asked.

_Goddess? _N thought.

"Forgive my silence throughout all these years. Much has happened since we last spoke," Jeralt said, adding a short bow.

"So I see. The miracle of fatherhood has bless you. These are your children, right?" Rhea asked. Her gaze shifting between N and Byleth.

"Sorry to interrupt, but it's just her," N said pointing at Byleth. "I'm just a member of the band. I am the youngest, though."

"He's right. He's not my child. It's only Byleth. She was born after I left this place. I wish I could introduce you to her mother, but we lost her to illness," Jeralt said.

_This is the first time I've heard anything regarding Byleth's birth. Does that mean we're the same age then? _N thought.

"I see. My condolences. As for you, well, both of you, I heard of your valiant efforts from Alois. One of you is skilled with a blade, the other knows much about the creatures. May I ask for your names?" Rhea asked. Her gaze landing on N first.

"Well, uh, I'm N."

"N? That can't be your name," Seteth said, eyebrow raising.

"It's the only name I go by. I don't know if I have a real name," N explained.

"I see. I understand," Rhea said with a an understanding nod. "What about you?" she asked turing to Byleth.

"My name is Byleth."

"What a fine name. I'm Rhea, the archbishop of the Church of Seiros. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for saving those students of the Officer's Academy."

_She seems too kind. It's like her voice is meant to soothe, but her actions are likely a contradiction, _N thought.

Jeralt let out a disgruntled sigh.

"Jeralt. You already know what I wish to say, don't you?"

Jeralt let out another sigh. "You want me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros. I won't say no, but…" His voice trailed off.

N could tell that Jeralt did not want to return, but it seemed there was not much he could do about it. N could leave if he wanted to, but he had stuck around this long, so he was not going to leave Jeralt and Byleth now. He could hear Zorua growl lowly. He pet the fox perched on his shoulder to calm it down. It seemed even Zorua had its apprehensions about Rhea.

"Your apprehension stings. I had expected Alois to have already asked you this." She then turned to Byleth and N. "I must step away for now, but I expect they will want to have a word with you two soon. Please listen carefully to what they have to say. Until tomorrow, farewell."

She then walked away with Seteth, leaving the three in the room.

"I can't believe it, forced back into the Knights of Seiros. Sorry to drag both of you into this," Jeralt said turning to the two. "Looks like I'll be stuck here for a while, and I'm afraid your services are requested as well."

"Services?" N asked.

"What do they want us to do?" Byleth added.

"They want you to teach from the sound of it," Jeralt replied.

"Teach?" the two asked at the same time.

"You heard those brats from before mention the Officer's Academy, right? The academy happens to be short a professor. Apparently that damned Alois recommended the two of you to Lady Rhea." Jeralt continued.

"So, you must be the new professor. My, how stern and handsome you are," a female voice said.

The three turned to see a woman with light brown hair, wearing a rather provocative dress and a white coat draped over. Next to her was a man with grey hair and had a monocle. He wore a brown colored suit with a similarly colored coat over it.

"Uh, no. I'm not the one you're looking for," Jeralt replied. He then turned to Byleth and N. "You two can take it from here. Good luck." He turned to leave, but muttered something only Byleth and N could hear. "Watch out for Lady Rhea. I don't know what she's thinking making you two professors. She may be up to something, so keep your guards up."

Blyeth and N nodded in response and watched as Jeralt exited the audience chamber. They turned back to the people that had just entered the room. They seemed to be studying them.

"Oh, so it's both of you, then? So young…" the woman said.

"Competence and age aren't necessarily correlated, as you well know," the man replied to the woman. He then turned to the two. "I'm Hanneman. A crest scholar and professor at the Officer's Academy. I wonder if either of have a crest. When you have a moment to spare, I insist you pay me a visit so we can delve into the matter."

N made a mental note to steer clear of him. He had an idea of what crests were and the power they held, but knew he did not have one. Plus, he was not sure if studying himself was the best idea.

"I'm Manuela. I'm a professor, a physician, a songstress, and available." Her eyes darted to N when she finished her statement. N cringed a bit under her gaze. "It's nice to meet you."

N tried his best to avoid making eye contact with her. He felt more uncomfortable than ever before when she would look towards him. While Byleth asked about the songstress part she had mentioned. Manuela replied by saying it was her former profession, and that now she was the school's nurse. N made another mental note to avoid her as well, only to interact when absolutely necessary.

"Spare our new colleagues the needless chatter, Manuela," Hanneman said to get the conversation back on track.

Hanneman went on the explain how the classes were divided into three houses and how one of them was supposed to take charge of one of them. N rose an eyebrow. He seemed to be talk to Byleth specifically about taking charge of one of the houses. N wondered what his role would be when he was suggested to become a professor.

Manuela then explained the three different houses. Each house was affiliated to the country of the student's origin. The Black Staraptor House was for students who hailed from the Adrestian Empire. The Blue Pyroar House was for students from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Finally, the Golden Stantler House was for students of the Leicester Alliance. The leaders for the three houses were the nobles the two had met before, with Edelgard being the next Empress, Dimitri the next King, and Claude being the next regent of their respective nations.

_Glad none of them died, _N thought.

"This year sure seems promising," Hanneman mused.

"I'll say. I just hope none of the little treasures cause anymore trouble," Manuela added.

"Quite. For now, I'd say take a stroll around the academy to get your bearings. When you have a chance please stop by my office," Hanneman said, turning to Byleth and N.

"He's right. Keep in mind that we only told the house leaders that you're our new professor. It's more fun that way," Manuela added.

_There it is again. They're looking directly at Byleth. No one's told me what my role is going be here, _N thought.

"I suggest both of you get to know the other students. Some odd ducks in the bunch, but they mean well. I'm sure Lady Rhea will have more information for you tomorrow, but for now that should get you going. Good luck." Manuela continued.

When the two finished, the exited the audience chamber leaving only Byleth and N. The two looked at each other and shrugged.

"Might as well do what they said," N said.

Byleth nodded in response and the two walked out of the chamber. "Though, they didn't say what you're going to do."

"I know. They left before I could ask anything," N said.

The walked towards the main hall and found it full of students and knights alike. N was sure this place was like a whole other nation all to itself. As they walked through, they spotted Edelgard at the end of the hall, Rufflet perched on her shoulder.

"Hey, Edelgard!" N called out.

The white haired girl turned and gave a small wave. She politely bowed when the they were face to face.

"So, both of you accepted a teaching position here. Pity, I'd hoped you'd lend your strength to the Empire," Edelgard said.

N laughed sheepishly. "Well, not really accept, more like thrusted upon."

Byleth nodded in agreement.

"I see. I never properly introduced myself, did I? I'm Edelgard von Hresvelg. I'm the princess and heir apparent to the Adrestian Empire. I wonder if you'll be tasked with leading the Black Staraptors…" Edelgard said, her voice trailing off.

"Well, I won't be teaching any of the houses. Just Byleth will," N explained. "Still not entirely sure what I'll be doing."

"Whatever you end up doing, I do hope you'll support the us throughout the year."

"Of course. That is a teacher's job after all."

She then went on to describe each of the members of her house. Hubert was her right hand man and his partner is a Ghastly. Ferdinand was someone who was always trying to compete with Edelgard. His partner is an odd looking Farfetch'd. Linhardt was one of the lazier students. His partner is a Munna. Caspar was more energetic, always looking for a fight. His partner is a Drilbur. Bernadetta was a shyer than most, always hiding in her bedroom. Her partner is a Mimikyu. Dorothea was an outgoing girl from a commoner background. She was a songstress like Manuela. Her partner is a Buneary. Finally, there was Petra. She was from an island nation affiliated with the Adrestian Empire. She was still grasping the mainland's language. Her partner is a Froakie.

With Edelgar's explanations, N and Byleth were able to get a better sense of who everyone in the house was. N wondered how their bonds with their partners were and was curious about the one called Ferdinand's Farfetch'd.

"That's everyone. If you get the chance to meet them, you'll get to know them better," Edelgard said.

"I see. I'm curious to get to know them," N replied.

Byleth agreed with N using a nod.

"Please do consider leading the Black Staraptor's."

The three said their goodbyes and N and Byleth continued to walk. However, a lot of the areas seemed closed off the them. The knights guarding the doors would let them pass, calling them new students. Though one guard seemed more approachable. At his side was a Watchog, a rodent looking creature with white, red, and yellow fur. The yellow was in the form of stripes around its body. Its unflinching gaze seemed to pierce through the two.

The guard introduced himself as the one in charge of watching the entrance. Though he seemed to try to make the most of such a mundane job. N asked where all the students were and was told they were at the classrooms. Getting the directions, they thanked the guard and made their way to the classrooms.

Exiting the main hall, they found where the classrooms were located. Walking about were other students from the academy from all the houses. They found Claude standing by his House's classroom, at his side was his, now fully healed, Deerling. N called out to him and Claude waved back enthusiastically.

"Scored a teaching gig, didja? Talk about a great first impression," Claude said with a chuckle. "I guess I should introduce myself properly. I'm Claude von Riegan. I'm from the ruling house of the Leicester Alliance, but don't worry too much about that."

"You're pretty casual about the whole thing," N said.

Claude laughed and clasped his hands behind his head. "Yeah. I try to make a big deal out of it. Anyways, I'm guessing you don't know which house to pick, do you. I bet you'd like ours. We're not as difficult as the other two."

He went on to give a brief overview of the members of his house and their partners. First was Lorenz, someone who flaunted his noble heritage on a regular basis. His partner is a Piplup who was equally as proud as him. Raphael was the son of merchants and someone with a huge appetite. His partner is a Makuhita. Ignatz was of commoner origin hoping to make it as a knight. His partner is a Hoothoot. Lysithea was one of the younger students, if not the youngest. Her partner is a Ralts. Marianne was a sullen girl, always looking at the downside of things. Her partner is a Espurr. Hilda was a somewhat lazy girl, but she still managed to get her work done. Her partner is a Stufful. Finally there was Leonie. At the mention of her name, N groaned, while Byleth seemed to share his sentiment.

"You've met her?" Claude asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, she was part of our band for a little while. She got a bit too obsessed with Jeralt. The girl means well, but her…" N trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"She's way too obsessed with my father. She'd talk about him on a regular basis," Byelth finished.

"Basically that. She has a strong bond with her Blitzle though," N added.

"Is that so. She does mention Jeralt from time to time now that I think about it," Claude mused.

"It's about to get worse now that he's here," N muttered to himself. Byleth nodded in agreement.

"Anyways, that's everyone in the Golden Stantlers. I hope I've convinced you to join us," Claude said.

"Why Stantler and not Sawsbuck? If you don't mind me asking." N asked.

Claude shrugged. "Not sure. I've never asked. It's a bit of a coincidence that I have a Deerling though."

"I see. Well, it was nice to see you again," N said.

"Later."

N and Byleth walked away and continued to walk the school grounds. The other students seemed to keep glancing at them out of the corner of their eyes. No doubt they were wondering who these strangers that were walking around, casually talking to the leaders of the houses. N and Byleth largely ignored them and minded their own business.

By a tree, they found Dimitri, playing with his Shinx. They called out to him and gave a respectful wave.

"Please accept my apologies for the other day. You came to our aid, yet I didn't even have the courtesy to properly introduce myself," Dimitri said adding a bow.

"You don't need to apologize so much. You asked for help and we obliged," N replied.

"Right, of course. I'm Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Well, at the academy I'm just a student. I've heard that you two are to become professors here. Delightful news. I still have much to learn, but I'm confident I could benefit from both of your guidance."

"I wish I knew what I was teaching," N muttered to himself.

Dimitri seemed to catch his words, but did not directly comment. "In any case, welcome to the monastery. I hear you're learning about the different houses. Did any of the Blue Lions catch your attention?"

Just like the other two, Dimitri briefly explained his classmates. Dedue was fiercely loyal to Dimitri, but closed off to almost everyone else. His partner is a Larvitar. Felix was as close to an expert swordsman as one could get. He and Dimitri had known each other for many years. His partner is a Honedge. Ashe was a hard working youth trying his best to become a knight. His partner is a Treeko. Sylvain was someone who cared a lot about his friends, but was a flirt that would him get into trouble. He has been friends with Dimitri for just as long as Felix. His partner is a Growlithe. Mercedes was like the mom of the group, always worrying about others wellbeing. Her partner is a Happiny. Annette was an outgoing girl, always trying to help others. She and Mercedes had met a school for magic. Her partner was a Jigglypuff. Finally there was Ingrid, another one of Dimitri's old friends. She was striving to be a knight in the wake of losing someone dear to her. Her partner is a Ponyta.

"You guys have a tight-knit group," N said after the explanation.

Dimitri smiled and nodded. "Yes. Most of have known each other for many years."

"I like that bond you all share," Byleth said. The Eevee on her shoulder seemed to agree with a happy purr.

"If you'd like to meet them, they should all be in the classroom," Dimitri said.

The two turned to see that the classroom was right behind them the whole time. Inside were all the students Dimitri had mentioned. They were trying not to make it obvious, but they kept glancing in their direction.

"Wouldn't hurt to say hello," N said with Byleth nodding in agreement.

"Wonderful. I'm sure you'll find them to be great people," Dimitri said excitedly.

"One question. Why is it Blue Pyroar and not Luxray?" N asked.

"I think it's because the original founder of the house had a Pyroar as a partner. At least that's what I think," Dimitri explained.

"I see. It was good to see you again. We'll go and say hello to your friends. They've been staring at us for a few minutes now," N replied.

"If you need anything, just ask."

They turned around and made their way to Blue Pyroar classroom. The students in it pretended to busy themselves. N and Byleth took the time to introduce themselves to each of them. Several were just as Dimitri had described. Annette was very personable and happy to meet someone new. She gushed a bit over N's Zorua and Byleth's Eevee, calling them cute many times. Mercedes also was the caring type and simply laughed as Annette would fawn over the creatures. Sylvain was courteous, but kept his eyes firmly on Byleth and tried his best to flirt with her. However, a glare from N would stop him for a few moments. Felix was blunter than either had expected. He was very straight to the point and flat out said he wanted to spar with Byleth and test his battle skills with Honedge with N. Ingrid apologized for Sylvain and Felix's behavior and thanked them for helping Dimitri against the bandits. Dedue was similar, just a short thank you. Ashe was also one of the more personable people. Introducing himself and talking about how brave they were in facing down the bandits.

N and Byleth then moved on to the Black Staraptor classroom, as it was the room next to the Blue Pyroar's. Caspar was quick to introduce himself and immediately challenged both of them to spar. Linhardt tried his best to calm him down, but to no avail. He quickly introduced himself as well, but did not say much else. Petra was like how Edelgard had described, still grasping the intricacies of a new language. Bernadetta was hiding behind a pillar. It took N to get close in order for her to introduce herself. Ferdinand introduced himself boisterously, saying his name like it was something the two had to know. Though, to Byleth and N, it looked like he meant well. Dorothea was one of the more personable people of the class. She introduced herself and her Buneary. It was obvious to N that the bond between them was strong. Finally, there was Hubert, who was staring daggers at them since they entered. He thanked them for saving Edelgard, but did not say much else. Behind him, his Ghastly seemed to laugh at them with a grin plastered on its face.

Finally, they made it to the Golden Santler classroom, and immediately they could feel the different atmosphere that they created. Each of them were easy to talk to and were happy to introduce themselves. Raphael seemed to be more focused on his next meal. With his Makuhita also wanting food. Ignatz introduced himself shyly, but was excited to meet someone new. He also introduced his Hoothoot that was perched on a beam on the ceiling. Lorzen was exactly how Claude had described him, proud of being a noble. His Piplup seemed to share that trait and copied a lot of his gestures. Marianne was the most sullen of all of them. She would apologize for everything even for just being part of the conversation. N and Byleth tried to say she did not need to apologize so much, but it did not seem to work. Hilda was completely different from her. She was more outgoing, but did seem like the type of person who did not give too much effort. Lysithea only said to not judge her based on her height, which meant to not call her short. N made a mental note of that. Finally they met up with Leonie. N groaned when she recognized them. For once he envied Byleth for being able to not show her emotions.

"Man, how long has it been?" Leonie asked.

"Not long enough," N muttered.

She seemed to not catch his comment and continued to talk. "Wait, if you guys are here, then where's Jeralt? He has to be around, right?"

"Yeah, he's around," Byleth replied.

"I need to find him then. I need him to see how much stronger I've gotten," Leonie said before sprinting out of the room, her Blitzle at her heels.

"I feel bad for Jeralt right not," N said.

"If anyone can handle her, it's him," Byleth replied.

N shrugged. "I guess you're right. Anyways, we've met up with the nobles and introduced ourselves to the other students, now what?"

"Probably head back to Rhea. Likely she wants me to pick a house to teach," Byleth answered.

N nodded in response and the two walked back to Rhea's audience chamber. As they walked back, they walked in relative silence. However, the one to break the silence first was Byleth.

"If you were teaching one of them, who'd you pick?"

N turned to her, surprised she was starting a conversation. He then looked to the ceiling of the main hall and mused the question.

"Well, they all left a pretty good impression on me, so it wouldn't be easy."

"Don't dance around it," Byleth said.

"I know, I know." N continued to think. Each house had their own quirks, both good and bad. He liked the close bond Dimitir's class had. He liked the relatively positive atmosphere that Claude's class had. He liked how united Edelgard's class was even when all of them came from different parts of their country.

"I guess if I had to pick, I'd go with Black Staraptor's. Despite one of them looking like he could kill me in strange ways, they seem like a good group of people. Really all three do, but that's where I think I'd feel the most at home; if that makes sense."

He turned to Byleth who seemed to have a satisfied smile on her face. N rose an eyebrow, wondering what was making her smile. He then pieced it together.

"You've already chosen, haven't you?"

"Maybe," Byleth said with a small laugh.

N replied with his own laugh.

As their conversation finished, the made it back to Rhea's audience chamber, where Manuela and Hanneman were also waiting. They entered and Rhea began to address them both, but her gaze was fixed on Byleth.

"How are you enjoying your time at the academy thus far? I hope you have found our halls brimming with the vitality of well-intentioned souls," Rhea said.

_Why not just call them students? _N thought as he mentally shrugged.

Seteth let out a short grunt and turned his attention towards Byleth. "I suppose it is time for you to take charge of one of our three houses of students." He then made it clear that he distrusted Byleth, and to the same extent N, with teaching students, but he had to do as Rhea said.

Manuela added that she hoped Byleth had gotten to know each of the students in the respective houses. While Hanneman said that Byelth would be allowed first pick and they would get the other two houses. N had to wonder of that was the best way to do things, but decided against saying anything. He then turned to Byelth, who seemed to be thinking deeply about which house to teach. Though, he was sure that she had already decided. Meanwhile, he had to make sure what he was going to be teaching, because nobody had yet told him what he was going to do.

"I think I'll pick…" Byleth began to say, causing N to turn his attention towards her. "I'll pick the Blue Pyroars."

N was surprised, but at the same time he was not. She seemed the most invested in that house since they had spoken with Dimitri.

"So you've chosen the Blue Pyroars, led by Dimitri. Correct?" Rhea asked, just to make sure.

Byleth nodded in response. "Yes. That's my choice."

"Your heart had made its choice, then. All I ask is that you guide these open minds with virtue, care, and sincerity," Rhea said with a smile.

"They are all promising youths who bear the weight of Fodlan's future. I hope you appreciate what an honor it is to lead them," Seteth added.

_This guy's kind of a dick, _N thought.

"Brother?" a female voice said. Everyone looked to the side to see a young girl with green hair walk into the room. She then let out a surprised gasp. "Oh! I am so sincerely sorry! I did not mean to interrupt."

"I'm in the middle of something, Flayn. Is it urgent?" Seteth said.

_So they're siblings? They don't look like it, _N thought.

"No, no, it's nothing. More importantly…" She turned to N and Byleth. "Who are they?"

"They are our newest professors at the academy," Seteth answered.

"A new addition to the Officers Academy! I am very pleased to meet both of you, Professors! I'm Seteth's little sister, Flayn. I'm so happy to make your acquaintance," Flayn said excitedly.

"Yeah, about that," N said moving to the front. "I still have no idea what you want me to teach."

Seteth was about to say something until Rhea raised her hand to stop him. She turned to N, with a calm smile on her face.

"You'll be teaching something that is relatively new course here. It's been some time since we've had someone capable enough to teach it," Rhea answered.

N's interest was piqued. If it was something that not many could teach, he could only guess what it was. He did have a good guess about what it was, but made to sure to keep an open mind.

"We want you to teach the students about the creatures they have as partners and the creatures in general. No doubt you've gotten to know the students and their partners. Not only that, but teach the ways of combat with them at their sides."

_I thought as much, _N thought. "I don't like it when the creatures suffer, and they tend to in battle. However, I'll teach the students more about them. That means I'll be teaching all three."

Rhea smile seemed to widen a bit. "That is all I ask. Please, both the students and their partners are in your care."

N bowed and returned to standing behind Byleth. "I'm sorry if I interrupted something."

"Let us return to the main topic," Seteth said, turning to Byleth. "There is something you should be aware of. In a few days' time there will be a mock battle between the three houses, intended to gauge the progress of the students. We will use the battle as an opportunity to ascertain your own abilities as well. Please do not disappoint the archbishop. That is all."

_This guys really is a dick, _N thought.

After that, the meeting was adjourned. Before N could join Byelth, he was pulled aside by Seteth, saying that Rhea wanted to talk with him. N spared a glance towards Byleth, who turned around to wait for him. N gave her a nod, which she understood and she walked out of the audience chamber.

N followed Seteth into another room, which seemed to be some sort of office. Behind the desk was another stain glass window. However, this time it showed a white and black creature with a green haired woman standing with the white creature and an older man standing with the black creature. For some reason, the image seemed familiar to him. The creatures seemed to be in a shape similar to something he had seen before. As he studied it more, he could feel a memory from his past begin to poke through his brain. Before it could, he felt a strong headache. He brought his hand to his forehead, trying to soothe the pain. It took a moment, but it subsided. He looked to the side to see that Seteth was watching him. He had a momentary concerned look, but it quickly faded.

"Does the image look familiar to you?"

N turned to see Rhea enter the room. He nodded and turned back to it.

"The creatures in the back, what are they?" N asked.

"The legendary dragons, Reshiram and Zekrom," Rhea answered.

The names seemed familiar to N. He had likely heard about them when he was very young, when he was still with them.

"They're sealed away. Unlikely to return," Rhea continued.

"I see," N said.

"If you wish to learn more, the library is free for you to use."

"Right. Thank you."

Rhea chuckled lightly and moved in front of N.

"I called you in here to ask you something. Do you want to teach the students more about the creatures?" Rhea asked.

"Of course. They should be aware of the creatures of this world, and their partners as well," N replied.

"I thought you might say that. I'm sure the three houses will learn much from your teachings."

N shrugged at that comment. "I hope so. I've never considered myself a teacher."

Rhea chuckled again. "I'm sure you'll do fine. The house leaders already trust you."

That was true. When he spoke to all three earlier, they seemed to be more trusting of both him and Byleth. Maybe it was a product of saving them, or something else entirely. The three had their own reasons for wanting to know more about N, the main one was his knowledge on the creatures.

"May I ask if you have a partner?" N asked.

"Me? No, I do not. I consider all of the creatures living at the monastery my partners," Rhea replied.

He had seen many wild Purrloins, Yampers, and several other creatures roaming the grounds. He wondered if she could speak to the creatures as well.

"I see. Sorry if it was something I shouldn't have asked," N said.

"No need. I understand that many have a creature to call a partner."

N nodded in response. "Is there anything else you need from me?"

"Yes, one last thing. Seteth will show you to your sleeping quarters, as well as where you shall be teaching," Rhea said.

N turned to Seteth. He looked like the last thing he wanted to do was what Rhea had just told him. He mumbled something under his breath and turned to N to follow him. N gave a polite bow to the archbishop and followed Seteth out of the room.

Rhea watched as the door to the room closed and as soon as it did her smile fell. She turned to the stained glass window and her gaze narrowed.

"You're project has made its way to me, Ghetsis. When will you come to get him I wonder," Rhea said to herself.

—

N followed Seteth through the grounds of the monastery. Every so often, he would glance back with a disapproving look. When they passed by the classrooms, he caught a glimpse of Byleth with her students. He wished he could join, but Seteth's glances were increasing with frequency as they passed by the classrooms.

They climbed up steps and made it to a tall structure with an equally tall door. Seteth stopped in front of the door and grabbed at set of keys. He inserted one of them into the door and with a loud thunk, the door unlocked.

"This is the battle arena. It locked off most of the time, but as of today it will be your classroom," Seteth said, turning to N.

N nodded and took a step forwards to open the door. He pushed the door and inside was the area. It was rectangle in shape, made out of stone. Two smaller rectangles were at the far sides of the main one, likely where someone would stand. N stood in the center of the area and looked around. There were steps that circled the area, likely for people to sit and watch battles. N felt amazed at the sight. He had never seen something like it before.

"Wow. This place is pretty cool."

"I'm glad you appreciate it," Seteth said. "However, I still am distrustful of you and your capabilities to teach."

N shrugged. "That's fair. We only just met."

"We'll learn if your friend is up to par, but we have no way to measure your ability to teach," Seteth said as he walked to the edge of the rectangle.

"What're you getting at?" N asked with a raised eyebrow.

He stopped at one of the smaller rectangles and turned to N. "I wish to test your abilities."

N looked to Zorua. "Like in a battle?"

Seteth nodded. "Precisely."

"But you don't have a partner."

"On the contrary, I do." Seteth snapped his fingers and from behind a pillar a small, blue creature appeared. It had its mouth open and was lined with sharp teeth. On its head was a fin. Ne recognized the creature almost instantly.

"A Gible?"

"Indeed. Shall we begin?"

N chuckled and walked to the other side of the arena. He stopped on the small rectangle and turned towards Seteth.

"You ready, Zorua?"

The black fox jumped off N's shoulder and let out a happy growl, it was ready for a fight.

"It seems you're ready. I won't be holding back," Seteth said.

"I wouldn't want you to. Though, I won't lose."

"Let's see if that confidence remains when I beat you. Gible, use Dig!"

Gible follow its command and burrowed into the ground, breaking the stone floor with ease.

"Zorua, be careful!" N said.

The fox began to scan the ground, as did N. He knew Gible would appear form beneath Zorua, but there was the possibility it would not. N did not want to take that chance.

"Zorua, run around to confuse it!"

Zorua began to move around the area. Not spending too long in one spot. Both kept an eye on the ground, making sure to not get caught off guard.

"Rise, Gible!"

On one of Zorua's steps, Gible rose from the ground and slashed at Zorua. N gritted his teeth in frustration, what he wanted to avoid came to pass. Now it was his turn to go on the offensive.

"Zorua, Fury Swipes!"

Zorua turned to Gible and charged at it. It raised its paws with its claws exposed and slashed three times at Gible. However, Zorua seemed to have taken damage as well.

"Why did Zorua take damage too? Is your Gible different?"

"For someone that is to become our battling professor, I'd expect you to know this. My Gible's skin in rougher than most. Any creature that attacks it will take damage too," Seteth replied.

_I see. So creatures can have more than one ability_, N thought.

"Take this! Gible, Dragon Rage!"

"Zorua, dodge it!"

From Gible's mouth, a blue-yellow flame burst forth. Zorua could not move in time and was hit by the attack. Though it seemed to take less damage compared to the first attack. N deduced that it was likely a weaker move. Seteth likely intended to use that move to defeat Zorua.

_I can't hit with a direct attack, _N reminded himself. "Zorua, Snarl!"

Zorua let out a screech and a wave of black-purple energy sprung from its mouth. Seteth cover his ears, while Gible took the full force of the attack. The energy pushing the draconic creature back. When the attack finished, Gible was dazed as it tried to regain its bearings. Seteth, meanwhile, was adjusting to not hearing the screech.

"I'm going to finish this! Gible, Dragon Rush!" Seteth called out.

"Oh crap!"

A blue energy formed around Gible, taking the shape of a dragon's face. It then lunged directly at Zorua. Before N could call out for Zorua to dodge, it took the full force of the attack. The force caused Zorua to fly past N and crash into the pillar behind him.

"Zorua!" N turned and rushed to see if Zorua was okay. He found the fox slowly trying to get up.

_Zorua can't battle anymore. It's too weak, _N thought.

He let out a sigh and went to pick up Zorua. However, the fox growled at N, its eyes lighting up with determination. He could hear Zorua's voice, it wanted to continue to battle. It had never faced such a strong opponent before and wanted to fight to the end. N was worried, though. Zorua could get even more hurt if it continued on. Despite his mind telling him to stop the fight, he went with his gut and let Zorua continue.

"Let's win, Zorua."

The fox nodded and trotted back onto the arena.

"I thought that last attack would surely defeat you. Color me surprised to see your partner stand," Seteth said.

"I wanted to call it after that attack, but Zorua told me it wanted to continue. It's having too much fun fighting your Gible. And, quite frankly, so am I," N said as a determined expression formed on his face.

"Very well. Let's continue."

N chuckled and prepared to launch his next attack. If his next attack did not go as planned, he and Zorua would lose.

"Zorua, let's hit him with our strongest attack: Dark Pulse!"

Zorua opened its mouth and dark energy began to collect in it. The energy was then fired as a beam of dark circles. The beam collided with Gible, pushing the creature back. The beam pushed Gible back towards Seteth, who let out a frustrated grunt. Gible, however, remained standing after the attack.

"Gible is still standing after that attack, and now you will lose. Gible, Dragon Rush!"

However, Gible would not move. Seteth looked towards his partner who stood stock still.

"Gible, attack!"

"Sorry, but Gible won't be attacking. Dark Pulse has a secondary affect of causing a creature to flinch," N explained. "I'll be the one to finish this! Zorua, Dark Pulse!"

Once again, Zorua collected dark energy and fired it. The attack collided with Gible knocking the creature into the pillar. Seteth turned to see if his partner managed to shake off the attack, but found Gible groaning and unable to move. Seteth let out a defeat sigh and turned to N.

"My Gible cannot continue. You are victorious in this battle."

N let out a relieved sigh and rushed to Zorua's side, who was about to collapse form exhaustion. He picked up the fox and pet it playfully.

"You did great, Zorua!"

All of a sudden, clapping was heard in the area. N look up to see the three houses gathered in the audience seating. N chuckled, they must have heard the sounds of the battle came to watch.

"You did great professor!" Claude called out.

"Nice way of showing Seteth who's stronger!" a voice, that sounded like Sylvain, called out.

"Both of you were awesome!" a voice, that sounded like Caspar, yelled.

N smiled and waved to everyone. His eyes then fell to Byleth who was happily cheering him on. He chuckled and looked back to Zorua, who also chuckled.

"It seems you have won the hearts of the students during our battle. I cannot deny now that you'll be a good teacher. I still don't fully trust you, however," Seteth said.

"I guess I can't help that," N said with a nervous smile forming on his face. He then turned to Gible, who seemed to be asleep in Seteth's arms. "How's Gible?"

"Nothing rest and some treatment can't fix," Seteth responded. "What about Zorua? I'm surprised it stayed standing after a Dragon Rush."

"Zorua'll be fine. I have ways of treating it. I could treat your Gible as well," N offered.

"I appreciate the offer, but I must be going."

"Right. See you around," N said.

Seteth bowed lightly and walked out of the arena. When he was gone, all the students in the stands crowed around him. All of them were asking all sorts of questions, while also asking for a battle.

"Everyone, please calm down a bit. Don't worry, I'll be teaching all of you how to handle yourself in battle. Plus, I can't battle right not. Zorua needs some rest. I look forward to teaching all of you," N said.

"I'm sure they'll all be looking forward to it," Byleth replied.

N chuckled a bit. "See all of you tomorrow!"

After that, the students began to file out of the arena, leaving only N and Zorua. He took another moment to look around the area which would become his classroom. This was not what he anticipated his life to become, but it was better than he anticipated. He looked down to Zorua, who was beginning to fall asleep.

"What do you think'll happen next, Zorua?"

Zorua simply yawned and tried to make itself comfortable in N's arms.

—-

When night fell, N found that he and Byleth would be sharing a room for the time being. It was mainly due to the unexpectedness of having two new professors. N did not mind it. It felt more comfortable to be with someone familiar. N took off his armor and boots and sat on the bed, watching as a fully healed Zorua tried to pounce on his boots. He could not help but chuckle at the fox's antics. Meanwhile, Byleth seemed to be staring off into nothingness again. N let out a sigh and called out to her. Byleth blinked rapidly as she seemed to come back to reality.

"So, what'd you think of the archbishop?"

Byleth shrugged. "Not sure yet. You?"

"Well, I don't trust her all that much. There's something about her that throws me off," N replied.

"You've never thought of someone as untrustworthy before," Byleth said.

"She just…" N trailed off as he laid down on the bed. "She just reminds me of someone from my past. Someone who uses nice words to get their way."

Byleth did not respond. She knew that N's past was a sour spot for him. Though there were times when he would open up about it.

"Though, if we're going to be here for a while, glad there's at least those kids from before. They are more personable," N added.

"Kids? Aren't they a year younger than you?" Byleth asked.

"Ha, ha, very funny. Based on what Jeralt said, you're probably my age too," N replied.

Byleth shrugged in response and sat down on her bed. Her Eevee already curled up and sleeping. She gently pet the creature, making sure not to wake it.

"That was quite the battle against Seteth," Byleth said, changing the conversation topic.

N sat up on his bed and looked towards Byleth, a smile plastered on his face. "I've never had so much fun in a battle before. Granted it's probably 'cause it doesn't happen to often."

While N was knowledgeable about how to battle with creatures, the most experience he had was facing off against creatures in the wild and spars with Byleth. It was the first time his opponent was someone else.

"He kind of just challenged me. He wanted to test my skills."

"The students now trust you, some admire you I think," Byleth said.

"That's good. It'll help when I teach them," N replied. "Anyway's we should probably get some shuteye. Tomorrow is going to be interesting, I think."

Byleth nodded and blew out the candle causing the room to go dark.

"Hey, Byleth," N said.

"Hm?"

"I think you blew out a Litwick's flame," N said.

All of a sudden a wailing sound filled the room. Both N and Byleth groaned. It was going to take a while before the Litwick would stop wailing.

**AN: And with that, this chapter ends. A long one this time. Again a lot of this plays out how it happened on the game that's why the dialogue feels familiar. I tried to change this up a bit here and there. However, going forwards things will being to change. As many of you likely guessed, N will be teaching a Pokemon battle class. So he'll be with all of the characters and will be able to build relationships with all of them. In this chapter you also got a tease of what's to come. So I hope you look forward to that. Sorry if the character intros felt a bit clunky here, they'll be better done next chapter, I promise. Also, the battle that happens in this chapter is how battle will play out in N's class. On the battlefield, it'll be different. I also have many changes planned for this story, so i hope you look forward to them. Anyways, with all that stuff out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned to the next. If you are enjoying, follow, favorite, and/or review. Feel free to follow me on Twitter. I post updates for stories as well as other stuff so you can get ot know me better.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

First Lecture

N paced in the battle arena. Today would be his first lesson to the students and he could not be more nervous. N felt like he had not slept in days, and the Litwick's wailing the previous night was not helping. He ran a hand through his hair as his mind raced through what his lesson plan should be. He had not begun to consider what he should start with. He also did not know what the student's experience in regards to their partner's characteristics.

_Maybe I should start with that: types, _N mused.

To his side, Zorua watched as its partner continued to pace. It could not help but snicker a bit as the worry increased on his face. N looked towards the snickering Zorua and let out a groan.

_Even Zorua thinks I'm hopeless._

He then stopped pacing and crouched down in front of Zorua. He pet the black fox, which stopped the snickering. N let out a sigh and looked towards the sky.

"This is going to be a lot harder than I thought," N muttered to himself.

Zorua yipped in response and N chuckled. At least his partner believed in him a bit.

The door to the battle ground opened and N shot straight up. Zorua climbed up to perch itself on N's shoulder. N watched as his first class walked in, and it was the Black Staraptor house. N took a deep breath and released it to calm his nerves. He had to at least look the part of the teacher.

"Welcome everyone. Looks like you guys will be my first class," N said.

"Then in your hands professor," Hanneman replied before exiting.

The door to the battle ground closed and N was left with the students. He carefully surveyed each one, placing names to faces and partners. He would start slow before beginning anything.

"I know I met you all yesterday, but introduce yourselves and your partners please."

The class nodded in response and introduced themselves again. N made sure to commit each name to memory.

"I'm just going to say this right away, I'm new to this whole teaching thing. So we're going to be taking a bit slow today. I hope you all understand," N said.

"Don't worry, Professor. I'm sure most of us understand," Edelgard replied.

N nodded in response. He took another moment to survey each student's partner and making sure he got their types right. The only one he was not sure of was Ferdinand's Farfetch'd.

"We'll begin today's lesson with something basic. I wouldn't be surprised if you all know this already. Each creature has an attribute or a type. A type will dictate what your partner is strong against or weak against."

N let the information sink into everyone. From what he could tell this was something they all knew, or had a basic understanding of it. N had predicted as much, but continued.

"Let me ask you this. Yesterday you watched my battle against Seteth, right?"

Everyone nodded yes.

"Then what type do you think his Gible was?"

Several hands shot up. N could not help but chuckle seeing how enthusiastic Casper waved his hand. He decided to indulge him and point at him.

"Obviously Dragon."

"That is correct. However, some creatures can have two types. Gible is one of them. What about its second type?"

This time Casper did not seem to know the answer, as his expression shifted to a more confused look. A few others seemed stumped by the question, but two knew the answer right away. Linhardt lazily lifted his hand, while Hubert was more subdued. N decided to call on Lindhardt as he seemed like he was about to fall asleep. The green-haired student seemed surprised that he was being called on.

"You did raise your hand," N said.

"Right, well, Gible is Dragon and Ground type," Linhardt said, a yawn finishing his sentence.

"Correct. Now, what type do you think Zorua is?" N asked. Zorua adding a snicker, seemingly happy is was an example.

The only hand to go up this time was Hubert, again in a more subdued manner.

"Dark type."

"That is correct." Zorua yipped happily as its type was said. "For that battle who held a type advantage?"

This time Edelgard raised her hand. "Neither of you. You didn't have an attack that would deal more damage than usual."

"Let me ask you this: what types are most effective again Zorua or Gible?"

With that question, N began to get into the swing of things. He continued to use the battle as an example and it served as a good way to introduce types. There were some aspects that the students already knew, and N had expected that, but the intricacies of types was new information to them. N found himself enjoying just being able to talk about the creatures, he had to remind himself that he was supposed to be teaching.

When the battle example had run its course, N had to figure out a new way to teach them. He wanted to get the students more experienced in the basics of battle before actually having them battle, but it seemed he could no longer do that.

"How about we put everything we just went over to the test. Pair up and try to figure out what your opponent is weak to. The best way to learn these things is through trial and error. It's how I battle. However, types is something that is essential to learn if you want to succeed in battles against creatures."

When everyone understood the assignment, everyone began to pair up.

"If anyone doesn't have someone to pair up with, they're more than welcome to practice with me," N said.

However, that did not seem be necessary. Caspar paired up with Linhardt, Edelgard with Hubert, Petra with Dorothea, and Bernadetta with Ferdidnand. To N, the pairs seemed like it was two people who were already familiar with each other. He made a mental note to pick pair every once in a while. He watched at the students spoke to each other about their partner's type before engaging in a battle. Everything went smoothly, except for Ferdinand and Bernadetta. He was trying to get her to be a bit more engaged, but her shyness was something she was having trouble over coming. N walked over to them to try to mediate the situation.

"Is everything okay?" N asked the two of them.

"It would be, but Bernadetta doesn't seem to want to take part," Ferdinand said.

N turned to him and saw that he was getting frustrated a bit, something his Farfetch'd mirrored. He turned to Bernadetta to see her trying to hide in the hood of the jacket she wore under her uniform. Her gaze was towards the floor. Her Mimikyu was hiding behind her leg. N took a deep breath and kneeled down in front of the girl, he had not realized how much taller he was than her.

"Hey, what's got you so worked up?"

"I-I-I-It's just that, I've never done anything like this before. I've never been a fighter," Bernadetta explained.

"I understand. I'm not one as well. I want to avoid fighting whenever possible," N replied.

Bernadetta looked up a bit to see N kneeling in front of her. His Zorua still perched on his shoulder. N took this moment to continue talking.

"However, there will be times when there is no other option. Not only will a weapon be at your side, but your partner as well."

Bernadetta seemed to relax a bit. Her once tense shoulders loosened up. N smiled as the two made eye contact.

"If you want my advice, Zorua is more reliable than any blade. I'm here to teach you that when the time comes, your Mimikyu is going to be your most trusted ally."

Bernadetta nodded in response. N could tell that his words affected her in a positive way. He stood up straight again and took a few steps back.

"Now, I'll be right here as you two practice. If you have any questions feel free to ask," N said.

"O-O-Okay. Thank you, Professor."

N nodded in response and walked away from the two. He stayed close enough that he could focus on them, while still observing the others. He listened closely at Bernadetta's explanation of Mimikyu. N had seen a few before, but never actually battled against one. The ones he had seen in the wild were very shy.

_Maybe that's why she has one. They're similar in that regard, _N thought as a smile came to his face.

"Ghost and Fairy. That means my Farfethch'd is weak to your Mimikyu."

N's smile changed to a confused look on hearing what Ferdinand had said. He took few steps towards the two. With what he said, N was now even more curious to know what type the Farfetch'd was.

"Hey, Ferdinand. What type if your Farfetch'd?"

"It's Fighting type. I thought that much would be obvious," Ferdinand replied.

N placed a pensive hand on his chin. "All the Farfetch'd I've seen fly. Their stalk is always much smaller."

"That's what sets my Farfetch'd apart. Its stalk is much larger and it's a lot stronger as well. Its second form is truly something only a noble like myself can use," Ferdinand explained.

"I've travelled through a lot of Fodlan, but I've never seen such a drastically different looking creature."

"Well, you can only find this Farfetch'd in the Adrestian Empire."

"Interesting. You learn something new every day. Sorry for interrupting. Continue."

N stepped back to observe. However, he was not wondering if there were other creatures that had such drastically different appearances. Ferdinand's Ferfetch'd had dark brown feathers and seemed to have a permanent scowl on its face. It looked a lot more angry compared to other Farfetch'd.

N pushed those thoughts aside for the moment and returned his focus to the students. Everyone now had a better grasp on types. N was confident that they could move on to the more complicated aspects moving forwards. When the class was soon to conclude, he called everyone over to him.

"Good work today everyone. I know a lot of you likely already knew a lot of what I mentioned today. I do hope that you still learned something new as well."

Everyone nodded in response, while some verbalized that they had indeed learned something new.

"There's one more thing before I let you go. I want you to put yo the test what you learned today in a battle against me. Who's up for battling me?"

"I'll take you on!" Caspar said as his hand shot up.

"Very well then. Stand over there," N said pointing at one of the smaller rectangles.

Caspar nodded and jogged to the rectangle, his Drilbur right behind him. N positioned himself on the other rectangle. Zorua hopped off N's shoulder and onto the battlefield.

"Let's go, Drilbur!"

The mole looking creature let out a challenge with a growl. Zorua responded with its own growl.

"Show me what you learned today, Caspar!"

"I'll show you what I learned today by beating you!"

"Then here's a question: what type is Zorua? Fury Swipes!"

Zorua launched itself towards Drilbur and laid quick slashes onto the mole. The mole staggered back as it recovered from the attack.

"Drilbur are you okay? I didn't know this was a quiz too!"

"In the heat of battle you'll have to know what your opponent is weak to, as well as what you're weak to. Now answer the question and attack!"

"Dark type! Drilbur, Metal Claw!"

Drilbur's claws sharpened as it ran towards Zorua. Zorua tried to dodge, but Drilbur's attack connected. The force of the attack pushed Zorua back.

"Very good. How about Drilbur? Zorua, Snarl!"

Zorua let out a screech coated in black energy. Caspar covered his ears, while Drilbur was being pushed back by the force of the attack.

"Ground type! Drilbur, Dig!"

When Zorua's attack concluded, Drilbur jumped in to the air, covered its face with its claws, and jumped into the ground.

"What are Drilbur and Zorua weak against? Double Team, Zorua!"

Zorua's body flashed white as several copies of Zorua burst forth. Caspar's eyes darted to each one of them, trying to figure out which one was the real Zorua. He did not forget N's question. He had a move that was strong again Zorua.

"Attack now, Drilbur!"

Drilbur rose from the ground, but its attack landed on a fake Zorua. Just as one Zorua disappeared, all the others began to fade away as well.

"You still haven't answered my question! Zorua, Dark Pulse!"

"Dodge it, Drilbur!"

Just as Zorua released its attack, Drilbur avoided it at the last second. N was surprised his attack had missed. Dark Pulse was a move that rarely missed. He could also see the smile that formed on Caspar's face.

"Let's finish this Drilbur! Use Rock Smash!"

"Rock Smash!?"

Drilbur's claws glowed again as it raced towards Zorua. The fox tried to avoid the attack, but was unable to and took the full force of the attack. The attack knocked Zorua back and into N's arms. Zorua wanted to continue battling, but N stopped it as his lesson had reached his student.

"The battle ends there!"

"What? How come? I was just getting warmed up," Caspar said with a disappointed look on his face.

"Zorua and I were also feeling the intensity, but this battle was for to apply what we went over today."

Caspar looked towards his professor with a raised eyebrow. N had another moment to teach him.

"What type of move is Rock Smash?"

"Fighting type."

"Why did you teach Drilbur that attack?"

"For Ice types. Drilbur is super weak to them." Drilbur let out a grunt at the mention of Ice types.

"Zorua is a Dark type. What are they weak to?"

"…Oh, right, fighting!"

"Precisely." N then turned to everyone that had been watching the battle. "I understand wanting to attack with the strongest moves you have, but if you have a move that is more effective, always go for it. That damage you deal will make battles take less time."

"But, Professor, wouldn't it be better to attack with a move that is stronger? Rock Smash is fairly weak move," Ferdinand asked.

"That may be true. However, it is always better to attack with a move that will guarantee the greater amount of damage. My Zorua did not have an attack that Drilbur was weak against, so I had to use my stronger attacks in order to deal the same amount of damage Drilbur's Rock Smash did to Zorua. Does everyone understand what I'm getting at?"

The students all nodded in agreement after musing N's explanation.

"I'm glad you all understand. You're all free to go. I'll still be here in the battle area should you need me," N said.

The students thanked him for teaching them and began to exit the battle area. Before exiting, Caspar turned to N saying he was going to be him next time for sure. N chuckled and simply waved. When everyone left N let out a breath and fell to the floor. Zorua jumped up his shoulder just as he began to fall. He placed an arm over his eyes to block the sunlight. Teaching for the first time really took a lot more out of him than he expected.

_Who knew teaching was so exhausting? _

Zorua circled around him for a bit before nestling itself on N's chest. N knew it wanted to rest. The battle had taken a lot of the little fox. He had no doubt getting hit by a move it was weak to left it a lot weaker than usual.

N mused on what else he could teach them. He knew he would have to teach them about the abilities that each creature possessed, as that was just as important in battle. He should also teach them about moves and their secondary effects. There were a host of technical things he had to teach them, but he wanted them to learn how to how to have a closer bond to their partners. That bond would be the corner stone of his teachings.

"Tired already," a voice said.

N's head shot up to see Edelgard, Rufflet was perched on her shoulder, entering the battle area again. N could only wonder what she wanted, as it was obvious to him that she knew most of what he had taught today.

"Teaching is a lot more different than I had anticipated," N replied.

"Your inexperience was a bit obvious at first."

"'At first'?" N asked raising an eyebrow.

Edelgard chuckled lightly. "Yes, at first. I think you coming clean about still being new to teaching put some people at ease, while having the opposite effect at the same time."

"Can't blame anyone for thinking that. I didn't feel entirely confident today," N said as he began to sat up. Zorua protesting as it had to jump off N's chest. "Care to take a seat?"

"Thank you, but I'll stand."

N shrugged. "Suit yourself. What changed your mind?"

"Pardon?"

"You said 'at first' before. I'm assuming something changed your opinion about me," N answered.

"Well, your whole interaction with Bernadetta. She seemed a lot less shy about the whole situation after you talked to her."

"Oh, that. I just spoke sincerely. To be honest, at one point, I was similar to her," N's voice trailed off as he finished his sentence.

N's words sparked Edelgard's curiosity. The two new professors were still an enigma to her. Byleth always wore a blank expression when around others, so Edelgard never knew what she was thinking. However, when she had first met N and Byleth, whenever N was around was when Byleth showed more emotion. N on the other hand felt like an open book. Someone who cared deeply for others and the creatures of the world. Now, however, he looked a lot more reserved and to some extent sad. Edelgard could only guess what his past was like.

"I see. I won't pry. It seems like a thing you'd rather not talk about," Edelgard said.

"I appreciate it. I just hope one day I'll be able to talk about," N replied. "Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

Edelgard noticed how he wanted to change the subject. N would open up, but now was not the time. That was something Edelgard had to respect.

"Do you have lesson plans moving forwards?"

"Kinda. I'm figuring this all out. After your mock battle I should be better acquainted with all this. This all happened so fast that I didn't really have time to prepare," N admitted with a sheepish laugh.

Edelgard found herself chuckling as well. "I'm glad. I was going to the dinning hall. Care to join me?"

N nodded. "Sure. Sounds fun."

Before standing, N stretched his arm out and allowed for Zorua to climb up it an onto his shoulder. He then stood up and followed Edelgard towards the dining hall.

—

The next day N was teaching the Golden Stantlers. He decided that he would also teach them the basics about types, as it was a good baseline to spring other lessons from. Compared to the day before, N was a lot more comfortable teaching. He had still been nervous, but he was a bit better at keeping it hidden.

Teaching the Golden Stantlers proved be a bit more difficult than he had anticipated. Most of them were very free spirited. Claude in particular seemed a lot more carefree than what N had previously experienced. However, N was still able to rein in all the students in order to teach them.

The Golden Stantlers had the most variety in terms of battle style. Though one of them preferred not the battle at all. Raphael preferred an all out offensive. Completely disregarding anything having to do with types. Because of that, his opponent, Ignatz, was able to overpower him. Ignatz also held the type advantage against Raphael's Makuhita.

Someone with the complete opposite was Claude. He tired to scheme his way to a victory. Holding back his partner's true strength until the right moment. Something that caught Lorenz off guard. The proud noble was surprised when Claude's Deerling attacked with grass moves; which his Piplup were weak to. N could tell Claude was someone that was very knowledgeable about a lot of things, but did not show it. He made a mental note to test his skills in a real battle, as right now they were merely training.

Lysithea was also keenly aware of types. However, she was paired with Leone. Her more methodical battle style clashed heavily with Leone's more speedy approach. Neither had the moves needed to deal a lot of damage to the other, but made up for it with strong attacks. N made sure to tell them that the key of the exercise was not to defeat the opponent, but know what their weak to and strong against. He made sure to tell that to the others as well.

The final pair were Hilda and Marianne. In this case Marianne had the direct advantage, as her Espurr was strong against Hilda's Stufful. Despite Hilda's attitude to doing the exercise, she had a good battle sense and had a move to counter Esspur. Marianne had a similar disposition to Hilda, in that she did not want to participate in the exercise. However, it was for a different reason. She was similar to N in that she disliked it when the creatures battled, as they got hurt. N sympathized with her, but he had to admit to her that battles between creatures was inevitable. He added that Espurr would protect her more often than any sword. His words seemed to cheer her up a bit since she continued with the exercise.

As the class continued, N watched carefully at how each student took in the information he gave and applied it. He was happy to see that many took his instruction seriously. Part of him thought that his inexperience would lead to them not being serious about his instruction. He made sure to also keep up with how their partners were fairing. Whenever someone's partner was starting to get weaker, he'd stop those pairs from continuing. He smiled to himself. He was truly enjoying teaching.

As the class began to finish, he wanted to do the same test he had done the previous day. He gathered everyone to the center of the battle arena.

"Good work today everyone. I'm glad everyone learned a bit from what I taught today."

"It wasn't too difficult," Lysithea said, crossing her arms over her chest.

N chuckled. "I'm aware. This is meant for you to review the basics. From here we'll begin to do learn more about your partners and the basics of battles."

"I'd like to think I have battle mastered already," Lornez boasted.

"Is that so?" Claude said raising an eyebrow. "Then how come you could barely defeat Deerling?"

Lorzen seemed to, literally, choke on his pride when Claude said his comment. "Next time I won't be caught off guard."

The members of the Golden Stantler's chuckled at his comment. Finding Lorenz's embarrassment amusing. N could barely hold back his own laugh as well. When he calmed down, N cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"As you all grow, you'll learn how to overcome a lot of challenging battles throw at you. I'm certain today you all learned what your partner is weak to and what it's strong against."

Everyone nodded in response.

"One final lesson. This is to put everything you learned today to the test. Who's willing to battle me?"

There was a collection of gasps from the students. They had heard from the Black Staraptors that N had challenged them to a battle. However, they had not anticipated that he would do that with them as well.

"I'll take you on, Teach," Claude said stepping forwards.

"Wait a minute! I wanted to fight him!" Leone said, also stepping forwards.

"The how about we make it a double battle?"

"Double battle?" everyone asked in unison.

"It's something I wanted to go over later in the year, as it takes a bit more strategy. However, the basics remain the same."

Everyone present took in the information and seemed to be mulling the idea over.

"So, Claude and I would fight you?" Pointing at herself and Claude.

N nodded. "I'd have to have a partner, however. Two-on-one seems hardly fair."

Leone and Claude looked at each other and nodded. "Fine, we'll take you on."

N nodded again. "Great. Who's willing to volunteer as my partner?"

Three hands went up, Ignatz, Raphael, and Lysithea. He glanced over to the two girls and saw that Hilda made no movement to want to battle. Marianne looked a bit undecided, as she shyly looked towards N.

"Right, then. Ignatz, you willing to battle?"

Ignatz nodded. "Of course, Professor."

"Great. Those who aren't battling, please go to the stands. The four of us will take out places."

Everyone nodded and did as they were told. Before the battle began, N and Ignatz strategized.

"I chose you because you have the advantage over Claude," N said.

"I'm aware. Hoothoot and I will take on Claude. Though, Leone and her Blitzle hold the advantage over me," Ignaz replied.

"Don't worry. Her attention will be entirely focused on me. Most likely both'll try to focus on me," N said.

Ignatz nodded. "I understand."

"You two done scheming?" Claude called out from across the arena.

N turned to him and smiled. "The only schemer here is you, Claude." N then turned to Zorua and Ignatz. "You two ready?"

His partners nodded and prepared for battle. Zorua hopped off N's shoulder and Hoothoot landed next to the fox, standing on a single leg. Across the battle area, Bliztle and Deerling were prepared for battle. As were their trainers.

"Let's get this started. Zorua, Snarl!"

Zorua let out a screech, coated in black energy. The attack seemed to only affect Deerling, as Blitzle looked unfazed by it. N clicked his tongue in mild frustration.

_Seems my attack didn't connect. Blitzle was who I was trying to take down first._

"Looks like your attack didn't affect Blitzle. My turn! Blitzle, Flame Charge!"

Blitzle's main glowed yellow before its body was fully enclosed in flames. The black and white horse charged straight for Zorua. Before the fox had a chance to avoid it, Blitzle's attack landed.

"Zorua!"

Blitzle returned to its side and kicked up dust by scraping its front hoof.

"Looks like my Blitzle is still raring to go!" Leone called out.

"Flame Charge is a move that makes the user become faster. We should be careful of Blitzle," Ignatz said.

"Yeah," N replied, adding a nod.

"My turn," Claude called out. "Deerling, Leech Seed!"

Two small seeds were launched from Deerling's back and into the air. The two seeds latched onto both Zorua and Hoothoot. From the seeds, vines grew around them, latching onto the two creatures.

"With Leech Seed we'll be taking damage every so often," Ignatz said.

_This guy's well informed, _N thought. "We have no way of retting rid of them, so we'll just have to pull through."

"I wish Defog worked against Leech Seed," Ignatz said, a bit of dejection in his voice.

N looked towards the teen and rose an eyebrow in surprise. Ignatz knew a lot more than he had anticipated. It was obvious to N that Ignatz had studied a good amount about the creatures beforehand.

"I guess I'll just have to attack! Hoothoot, Air Slash!

Hoothoot took to the sky. The vines around its body did not affect its ability to fly. Hoothoot flapped its wings and blades of wind formed. The attack landed on both creatures. The damage to Blitzle was minuscule, while Deerling took a big hit.

"You'll have to hit me with something stronger than that!" Leone called out.

The vines around Zorua and Hoothoot began to glow and their energy was sapped and given to Deerling.

"A lot of the damage we just dealt was just healed," Ignatz said.

"Sorry about that. Can't have Deerling losing against Hoothoot too quickly," Claude replied with a casual shrug.

"Blitzle! Use Flame Charge again!"

However, Blitzle did not move. It stood stock still, barely able to move its legs.

"Blitzle, what's wrong?"

"Air Slash has a secondary ability. It can cause flinching," Ignatz answered.

"Looks like luck was on our side. Zorua, Dark Pulse on Blitzle!"

Dark energy gathered around Zorua's mouth and was fired towards Blitzle. Leone called for Blitzle to dodge, but the flinch status was still in effect. Blitzle took the full force of the attack.

"That's going to be some massive damage!" Ignatz called out.

"Sorry, but you guys won't be winning," Claude said with a slightly smug tone. "I've been saving showing this for awhile. Deerling, Double Kick on Zorua!"

Deerling raced towards Zorua. It spun on its front legs and kicked Zorua with its two back hooves. Zorua flew into the air and N managed to catch the fox before it fell to the ground. N could tell that Zorua had taken a lot of damage. Getting hit by Flame Charge and Double Kick hurt it a lot, on top of Leech Seed damage.

"Hoothoot, Air Slash!"

Once again, Hoothoot took to the sky. The owl flapped its wings and blades of air formed. The attack landed on both opponents, to the same result as before.

N had seen enough. All three had understood the lesson. He had to remind himself it was a simple lesson, so grasping the concept of types was going to be something the students would pick up on quickly.

"Alright, that's enough for today!"

"Wait, but there isn't a winner yet!" Leone said.

"I understand, but the point of this was for you to test your knowledge on types and their weaknesses and strengths," N replied. "Plus, I don't want for your partners to get hurt anymore. My Zorua could use a break."

Zorua responded with a growl that N took like the fox wanted to continue to battle. Since they had arrived at the monastery, Zorua wanted to battle a lot more often. No doubt it was because so many partners for it to test its strength on.

"I want to highlight some things about the battle before you go," N said. "Claude, Leone. Did you notice something about your team?"

The two looked at each other. Leone shrugged and shook her head. Claude on the other hand, knew the answer based on his expression.

"Our team had the advantage over yours. With Deerling knowing Double Kick, I had the advantage over Zorua. Blitzle had the advantage over Hoothoot, being an Electric type."

N smiled and nodded. "Exactly. This exercise would've been over much sooner if you'd played to those strengths." N first turned to Claude. "Claude. You wanted to make the battle longer. There's no reason to do that if you have the advantage." He turned to Leone. "Leone. You wanted to battle me and me alone. It was a team battle. Claude was at a disadvantage against Hoothoot. You should've prioritized defeating Hoothoot, not me."

He stopped in order for his advice to sink in a bit. Claude understood where he went wrong a bit fast than Leone. It looked like she wanted to argue, but stopped herself.

"Did you pick your team on purpose, Teach?" Claude asked.

"A bit."

The three students looked towards their professor in surprise. Ignatz seemed a bit disheartened at his comment.

"You chose me knowing I could've been a hinderance?" Ignatz asked.

N shook his head. "Not entirely. I knew my attacks held no advantage over theirs. I needed a partner that incentivized them to strategize a bit more. However, that did not take it seems." N turned to Ignatz. "Also, you were the best choice to be my partner for this exercise."

Ignatz smiled and nodded. "I see. I understand now, Professor."

N nodded in response and turned his attention back to everyone present.

"Good work today. You're free to go. I'll be here if you have anymore questions."

The students thanked him for the lesson and began to exit the battle arena. Raphael called out that he was going to get some food, which led to everyone laughing. N could not help but chuckle as well. Before they all exited, N saw that Ignatz was the last one to exit and called out to him. The teen turned and walked up to him.

"Is something wrong?"

N shook his head. "No. I just wanted to ask you something. A lot of what you said during the battle surprised me. You're very knowledgeable about moves and their effects. Where did you learn all that?"

Ignatz faced turned slightly red with embarrassment. He began to fumble over his words as he tried to form a sentence. N could not help but laugh a bit at the situation. Ignatz then took in a breath to collect himself.

"I've always been curious about the creatures. I wanted to learn as much as possible. As I learned about all the ones catalogued I began to notice that many have yet to be."

N nodded in understanding. "I see. The world is large and there are many creatures yet to be discovered. That's quite the undertaking. However, why so knowledgeable about moves?"

"To be honest. Moves are the most fascinating thing about them. The colors of the attacks, the way they move, it's all so captivating. I can't help but draw-" Ignatz stopped himself from talking. "I'm sorry. Forget I said that."

"You like to draw? What's so bad about that?" N asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

"Don't worry about it. It's just a hobby," Ignatz answered.

N rose an eyebrow. He could see the way Ignatz's eye darted away from him whenever he tried to make eye contact. There was something that was bugging him about admitting that he liked drawing. That much was obvious to N. He wanted to know, but refrained from pressing any questions.

"That's fine. It's always good to have a hobby," N said.

"I guess so," Ignatz replied, still avoiding eye contact.

"If there's ever anything you want to talk about, feel free to come to me. I'm always willing to hear people out." That much was true. Even if he could not bring himself to talk about his own past. Helping people talk about their problems always helped him in opening up a bit more. And it was apparent to N that something about admitting to drawing was affecting Ignatz.

"Sorry to keep you from your classmates."

"It's fine. I'm glad I got the chance to talk to you. You're interesting," Ignatz said.

N chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment. See you next time."

"Have a good day, Professor."

—-

Today, N was teaching the Blue Pyroars, Byleth's class. Before the class started, Byleth pulled N aside and told him she was going to stay and watch. N did know why she had to tell him that, but agreed to let her stay.

N began his lesson about types the same way he did with the other two classes, using his battle as an example. Just like his previous classes, the students already had a grasp about types. Focusing more on what their partners were weak to. N made sure to tell them to learn every type's strength and weakness, as that would help them in future battles.

During the pair exercise, N saw a bit more fervor in the Blue Pyroars compared to the other classes. It was not by a lot, but it made him feel like teaching was all the more worth it. For the pair exercise, once again, the students paired up with who they were most familiar with. He made second mental note to chose the pairs next time.

The first pair he supervised was Felix and Sylvain. It was clear to all three of them that Sylvain's Growlithe held the advantage over Honedge. Growlithe's fire attack kept Honedge from dealing too much damage. However, Felix made up for the disadvantage with strong attacks. If N had to be honest with himself, Growlithe would always hold the advantage over Honedge.

The next pair was Annette and Mercedes. It was apparent that the two knew a lot about their partners, but neither had an attack that held an advantage over the other. To N it appeared that Mercedes and Happiny were not fighters. Happiny knew attacks, but none dealt a lot of damage. He knew of Happiny and its more advanced forms, they were always the partners of healers, along with Audino's. It made sense that she was not that present in battles and focused more on support. N theorized she would be stronger in double battles. Annette's Jigglypuff knew stronger attacks compared to Happiny, but it was not by that much. N was more surprised that Annette had the second form to her partner. All the other students still had their partners in their base form. When he asked her about it, she answered that she had had an Igglybuff when she was a child, then one day it began to glow and it transformed into Jigglypuff. N complimented her on her bond with Jigglypuff and she replied with a bright smile.

Ashe and Ingrid was the pair he supervised next. This was another pair where one had the clear advantage over the other. Ashe's Treecko could barely land strong attacks on Ingrid's Ponyta. Treecko had a few moves that would deal damage on Ponyta, but they were more on the weak side in terms of damage. N could see Ashe get a bit dejected that his partner was at a disadvantage. He spoke to him that there would be instances where he would be, but to use those moments to figure out how to best approach that same situation in the future. Ashe brightened a bit when hearing N's advice, saying that he would work harder to get stronger. N admired the boy's courage. However, keeping up with Ponyta's arsenal of fire type moves proved to be a bit more challenging. N could only compliment on Ingrid's training of her partner.

The final pair was Dedue and Dimitri. Another situation where one had the advantage over the other. However, despite having the disadvantage, Dimitri took the challenge in stride. N could tell that Dedue was holding back just a bit, but enough to provide a challenge. N had heard stories about Larvitar and the strength it had within. He especially knew about Lavitar's final form: Tyranitar. That creature was said to have the greatest amount of power of any creature. N had yet to encounter a Tyranitar, so he could only guess how strong it really was. Dimitri's partner, Shinx, on the other hand, he had seen many times before. It was a popular creature among children. However, Dimitir's Shinx was a bit more composed compared to those he would see in villages. It held the advantage in speed, but it was a bit lacking in power. But that did not deter Dimitri. N could not help but smile at the teen's determination to work hard, something his Shinx shared.

After watching everyone train, N began to realize why Byleth had picked this house. He was beginning to feel that she was right, but made sure to stay neutral. He did teach all three houses. He did not want to show favoritism to one house.

"Well done everyone. We'll conclude today's lesson. I'm sure you all learned, or relearned, about types."

Everyone gathered around N nodded in response.

"We went over the basics so all of have a foundation moving forwards. We'll be going into the more difficult aspects of battle soon and knowing types will help in that. However, there is one lesson left today."

"I'm assuming it's the battle against you?" Ashe asked.

N smiled and nodded. "Indeed. You've been talking to the other houses I take it. Who's willing to volunteer?"

There was brief moment of silence as the students decided who should go. To N it seemed that since none of them held an advantage over his Zorua, they could not apply what they had gone over today.

"I'll go," Felix said, raising his hand slightly.

"Very well then, Felix. Take your place on the opposite end of the arena. I'll take mine."

Felix nodded and walked to his position, while N walked over to his. The rest of the students joined Byleth in the stands. When the two were in position, Zorua hopped off N's shoulder and Honedge floated onto the battlefield.

"I'm surprised you decided to battle. Honedge is weak against Zorua," N commented.

"That'll just make beating you all the more satisfying."

"Then let's get started. Zorua, Snarl!"

The black coated scream slammed into Honedge. The floating sword stumbled, almost dropping its sheath. N expected the attack to a bit more damage, as Honedge's defense against ranged attacks was weaker.

"Honedge, Slash!"

The floating sword's blade began to glow as it neared the fox. The blade the slashed Zorua, dealing more damage than usual. N knew of Slash's secondary effect, it must have activated when the attack landed. He would have to be a bit more carful with that move.

"Zoura, Double Team!"

Zorua glowed for a moment before multiplying. Several clones of Zoura appeared all over the battlefield. N could see Felix's eyes scanning to see which one could possibly be the real one.

"That won't matter against Honedge. Fury Cutter!"

What appeared to be an eye on Honedge's guard darted around, before landing on one of the Zorua clones. Honedge's sword glowed again and it moved towards the Zorua clone it had targeted. Honedge slashed the clone, and all the others disappeared. Honedge had attacked the correct one. That left N a bit surprised. It was likely that Honedge had a trait that kept it from missing.

N looked towards Zorua, and saw that it struggled a bit to stand. Once it stood itself upright, it was ready to continue. However, N knew now was the time to stop the battle.

"The exercise is complete!"

Felix's scowling face morphed to one of surprise. "What? The battle isn't over."

N chuckled as he picked up Zorua, who also wanted to continue battling. "You everyone that has participated in this exercise has said the same thing. This exercise is just a test to see how my opponents reacts to Zorua. You succeeded in that regard."

The students in the stands walked over to N when he called them over. When everyone was gathered in front of him, he continued to talk.

"Something I want to go over about today's battle. Normally, by using Double Team I can avoid taking damage from attacks. Of course, attacks can still land. You saw that with Honedge using Fury Cutter. However, Honedge has a special trait. Each creature has one. In this case, Honedge's allows for all its moves to hit. The downside is that all my attacks can hit it."

"What do mean by trait?" Ashe asked, which was something that everyone else seemed to be curious about as well.

"What I mean is that a trait is special characteristic that your partner has. That trait might overlap with other creatures, but, for now, consider it unique to yours. Those traits will provide invaluable aid in battle. It may even turn the tide of one if used correctly."

N paused for a moment to let his information sink in.

"That is something we'll be going over in detail. I won't fault you if you don' remember what all of them do. There are a lot and even I can't remember them all. Knowing what your partner has however, is essential."

Everyone then nodded in understanding. N smiled as everyone looked to be getting more excited learning more about their partners.

"Well that'll be all for today. You're free to leave."

As everyone began to turn to leave, N called out to Felix. There was something he wanted to talk about with him. Byleth looked towards N, wondering what he would talk to her student about. N assured her with a look and Byleth nodded before exiting the battle arena.

"What do you want?" Felix asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

N ignored the rudeness of his tone and focused on what he was going to talk about. "You're Honedge. Your bond with it is strained." N gestured to the floating sword, that, since the battle, had resheathed himself.

"It's not your problem," Felix replied.

N now understood a bit of what Felix was feeling. He could also hear Honedge's voice calling out to the teen.

"You know of the legend involving Honedge, don't you?"

A pained, angry looked formed on Felix's scowling face. "I said it wasn't your problem."

"I know it isn't. But I'm still your teacher and a teacher is supposed to care about their students."

Felix's expression remained. N knew he was not going to be able to get him to talk. He was guarded about something and it involved his Honedge and the legend surrounding it. It was possible, he did not want to hear his Honedge's voice. He could not hear it in the way N normally could. N let out a defeated sigh.

"If you don't want to talk, that's fine. Just know you can confide in me whenever you need it," N said.

Felix's expression softened a bit, but his scowl persisted. "I won't need to, but thanks for the offer. Can I go now?"

N nodded. "Sorry to keep you from your classmates."

N watched as Felix exited the battle arena, his Honedge floating behind him. He did even spare a second glance. N let out a sigh. He wondered if he had over stepped. He had only recently begun teaching was just getting to know the students. N hoped that Felix would not distance himself from him, but understood if he did end up doing it.

"Oh, Zorua. What will I do?"

The fox only growled in response. Telling N it wanted to finish the exercise battles.

—-

That night, N sat in his bed. He felt exhausted and it was only the middle of the week. While he was enjoying teaching, he had never anticipated for it to be so tiring. He muttered something to himself about lesson plans as he made his way to the desk he and Byleth shared. Zorua, meanwhile, slept soundly on N's bed. The fox had battled three days straight, so it undoubtedly tired. After each battle, N could hear Zorua's complaints about not being able to finish battles.

N turned back to the papers in front of him. He had written out everything he wanted to teach the students. On one sheet was the more practical side of the creatures and battles. The things he was likely hired to teach. On another was more for the students to bond with their partners. Most of the students had a good relationship with their partners. However, there a few exceptions. The most obvious to him was Felix. He would be the most difficult to try to have him see Honedge as his reliable partner. Another student was Edelgard, which surprised him. He had anticipated that the house leader would have strong bonds with their partners and that was true for Claude and Dimitri. However, Edelgard's bond with Rufflet was the weakest out of the tree.

N was too engrossed in what he was doing that he did not notice Byleth entering the room. She glanced over to N, and saw that he was working on something. She walked over to him to see what he was working on. She saw the lesson plans that were written out as well as other things she could not quite make sense of. She took a few steps back and sat on her bed. Her Eevee curling up on her lap.

"Working hard?"

N jumped in fright, causing him to hit his knees on the desk. The sound even woke up Zorua and Eevee. N pushed himself from the desk and began to soothe his pained knees. His expression made Byleth giggle a bit.

"Yeah, laugh all you want. You nearly gave me a heart attack," N said. Inwardly, he was happy that she was laughing. It was something she rarely did.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to distract you."

N calmed down a bit after taking in a breath. "Don't worry about it."

"Planning your lessons?"

N nodded and stood up from the desk. "I want to organize myself. Everything happened so fast that I didn't really have time to prepare anything. Plus, teaching all three houses is a lot harder than I thought it would be."

"They're all so different," Byleth added.

"You can say that again." N sat down on his bed, with Zorua curling up next to him.

"I have to ask, why did you want Felix to stay?"

"He is your student after all. His bond with his Honedge is strained. Everyone has difficulties bonding with their partner, but Felix felt different. It's like he's distancing himself from his partner on purpose. I tried to get him to talk about it, but he didn't want to," N explained.

Byleth pondered N's answer. She had only been teaching for three days, so she wondered if Felix had shown similar expressions in the class.

"He'll probably open up to you before me, I hope," N added.

Byleth nodded in response. N then fell silent. He did not continue the conversation. Byleth watched as he put a hand on Zorua and began to pet it. The fox repositioning itself so N could pet it where it liked to be pet the most.

"How about the other houses? How to they fair?" Byleth asked, breaking the silence.

"I wasn't that surprised when most knew the basics. You learn the basics of types and battle by just doing it and reacting to the effects. It did surprise me when some students knew more than most on certain aspects."

"You have a solid foundation to build on then," Byelth said.

N nodded. "Yeah. I'll likely start the more complex stuff after the mock battle. That's in two weeks right?"

"Yeah. It'll be my turn to show that I'm a capable teacher. In Seteth's eyes at least."

The mention of the green haired aide caused for N to chuckle a bit. The man's prickly attitude was expected, but it was a bit funny to N to see him so uptight about everything. He remembered the glare he had sent his way in the dinning hall on his first day of teaching. It also did not help that the outcome of their battle became public knowledge and several people were giving him a hard time for it. N was almost positive that he would challenge him to a battle again.

"Good luck with that. I'm going to turn in for the night. Need to not look like I haven't slept in front of my students," N said.

"Sure. I'm going to stay up a bit longer."

As the candles in the room began to go out, except for the one at the desk, N began to feel himself drift off to sleep. He silently hoped that he would not be plagued by nightmares again. He wanted at least for a few nights in which he did not wake up in a cold sweat. He spared one last glance towards Byleth before sleep finally over took him.

**AN: With that, this chapter is done. Sorry for making you guys wait so long. I know I said I'd try to be as biweekly as possible, but with everything that's been going on irl that was hard to do. Anyways in this chapter I wanted to show how N would be teaching his classes, it's a bit more more hands on compared to classes in the game. I also established who N will be interacting with the most aka his supports. He'll be interacting with everyone, but he'll be having stronger relationships with certain characters. The first three he talked to here are just the first. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next. I'll try to get it out a lot sooner this time. If you're enjoying the story, feel free to follow, favorite, and/or review. Follow me on Twitter and that way you'll get direct updates about story progress and other stuff I post there. Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The Mock Battle

Today was the day. N was up early for the day that was ahead of him. Today was the day of the mock battle, meant to showcase the students battle prowess. This was also the day of Byleth's test to see if she was a capable teacher. N was sure she was going to pass, but part him knew that even if she did it would still take time for people to still view her as capable. He knew all too well what she was capable of on the battlefield. Growing up together and training together helped that immensely.

In the two weeks prior, N made taught the students what was left about types. It mostly involved more about the strengths and weaknesses plus how attacks from the same type dealt more damage. That part about types was something many of students did not know. Some had guessed that was the case, but it was still something new to them. He did not show it, but N was happy that his first lessons had something new for the students to learn. He hoped that the students would use what they learned in today's mock battle.

As N ate breakfast, he was joined by Dimitri, Ashe, and Dedue. Though, Ashe seemed a bit nervous about sitting next to Dimitri. N asked how their house was approaching the mock battle; Byleth had not told him anything about their strategy. However, he was not given an answer. With a playful tone, Dimitri said that there were people from the other houses present and he did not want to give away their strategy. N understood, but could not help but laughed a bit in response.

"Can you guys tell me how Byleth is as a teacher?" N asked, changing the subject. "I can't image someone as silent as her teaching a class." N finished his sentence with a chuckle.

"If I had to say, she's straight to the point," Ashe answered.

Dimitri nodded. "Ashe's right. She doesn't mince words, but she isn't strict."

"She doesn't speak more than she needs to," Dedue added.

"Kind of like you, Dedue," Ashe said with a chuckle.

Both Dimitri and N laughed as well, while Dedue remained stone faced.

N was glad to hear that Byelth sounded like a good teacher. He was worried that her usual silence would affect how she taught, but if the students with him were learning from her then everything was alright.

"It was nice catching up, but I have to go meet up with Jeralt," N said as he began to stand.

"Of course. Don't let us keep you," Dimitri replied.

"Good luck out there," N said as he began to walk away.

"Root for us!" Ashe called out.

N replied with a wave and exited the dining hall. When he did, he took a moment to stare at the sky. It was a clear day out, which felt like good luck. N took in a breath and made his way to the stables to meet up with Jeralt.

For the mock battle N was assigned to be a healer. Since he did not teach one of the houses, that meant he was relegated to the sidelines. He offered his assistance as a healer for both the students and the creatures. He was skilled in healing magic, the only one proficient at it within the mercenary band. He was always there to patch people up when missions became dangerous. Now, he was healing for both people and creatures. He made sure to study up on healing creatures, as healing magic was not as useful on them. It worked, as he would test its capabilities on Zorua, but it was not as effective. Healing creatures came from nature, such as roots and berries. He made a mental note to teach the students about healing their partners as well.

When he reached the stables, Jeralt was speaking to other knights. His Mudsdale standing behind him. When he finished giving instructions to the knights, they walked away and he turned to his Mudsdale. N watched as the older man tended to his partner. N did not need to hear Mudsdale's voice to know it wholly trusted its partner. In the back of his mind, a bad memory tried to worm its way to the forefront of his thoughts, but he pushed it back.

"Hey, Jeralt! Or is it Captain Jeralt now?" N said, making his presence known.

The older man looked up to see N walking towards him. He smiled and waved towards the teen.

"Ah, you're here. Sure took your sweet time," Jeralt said with a chuckle.

N placed and hand behind his head. "Sorry. Was talking with some of the students in the dining hall."

"Is that so? How're the brats?"

N shrugged. "From the little I've been with them, they seem like a good group of kids."

"Kids? You and them and practically the same age," Jeralt said with a laugh.

N rolled his eyes. He was getting tired of that joke. "I know. It'll take time for them to get over the fact that someone their age is teaching them."

"Anyways, you ready for today?"

N nodded and thankful for the change in subject. "I have everything I need in the bag." N patted the bag on his hip to emphasize the point.

Jeralt nodded in response. "They'll be counting on you for first aid."

"I know. This isn't my first time being in charge of this stuff. Plus, I'll have church mages backing me up."

The mention of the church made Jeralt's expression darken. N knew that the church was still a sour spot for the man. Despite not knowing a lot about his past, N knew that him and the church were not on the best of terms. He was sure that something had happened that caused him to leave. Being forced to return as well did not help mediate his opinions on them.

"Don't worry. I still have your words replaying in my mind," N said, trying to reassure the man.

"That's all I ask."

"Captain Jeralt!"

N and Jeralt turned to see a Alois walking up to them. His Onix lumbering behind him. N could only wonder how the rock snake managed to move around in the monastery. The two groaned seeing him. Alois was well intentioned, but both found him to be more annoying than anything.

"We're just about to head out. The students and teachers should be ready as well," Alois said.

"Thank you, Alois. I'll meet up with the others in a minute. I have to finish up here with Mudsdale," Jeralt said.

"Of course. We'll meet you at the main gate." Alois' gaze then fell towards N. Likely noticing him for the first time. "Ah, you're here as well. The church healers are waiting for you as well."

"Wait. I'm in charge of them?" N asked.

Alois nodded enthusiastically. "But of course! I do believe Lady Rhea assigned you to do this."

N let out a sigh. He did not like being told things last minute. "I'll meet up with them when I finish helping Jeralt."

"Right. I'll see you both in a few minutes," Alois replied. "I'll leave you two to finish here. Let us go, Onix."

The rock snake let out a low groan and followed the man as he walked away. N, once again, wondered how Onix moved around within the monastery. However, he could tell there was a strong bond between Onix and Alois. How that was possible baffled N.

"Well, we should probably get going soon," Jeralt said.

N nodded in response.

Jeralt grabbed Mudsdale's reins and began to walk towards the main gate. N stood on the other side of Mudsdale and walked as well.

"Leading the healers, huh? Been here two weeks and you're already climbing the ranks," Jeralt jabbed.

N let out an annoyed sigh. "Please don't patronize me."

—-

N and Jeralt arrived earlier than the students at the field where the mock battle would take place. It was near the monastery, a quick walk descending down the mountain. The walk back up might become more of a challenge.

N surveyed the area from where he was. The field looked like it has been used many times over the course of many years. One corner was adorned with a simple barricade and a slightly elevated platform. Another corner had a small concrete structure with an odd looking inscription within it. The field was littered with small patchworks of trees. Providing a bit of a defensive position.

N made sure to know where each of the houses would be positioned for the mock battle. The Golden Stantlers would be taking a more defensive position behind the barricade. The Black Staraptors would be positioned near the concrete structure. The Blue Pyroars would take the open area facing the other two. The position left them at a disadvantage, as they only had trees as support. It was likely that someone made sure they had to remain on the offensive. N's mind immediately went to Seteth. The aide to the Archbishop had it out for the both of them since they arrived, and he would still refuse to warm up to them.

"Taking in the sights?"

N looked back to see Jeralt walking towards him. N looked past him to see his Mudsdale tied to a tree. N turned his attention back to the field in front of him.

"You could say that."

"What do you make of the battlefield?" Jeralt asked.

"It's obvious Byleth's class is at a disadvantage. They have no position to fall back on. They're going to be on the offensive for most of the battle," N answered.

"What would do, if you were leading them?"

"Take them on one by one. The Golden Stantlers don't have a reason to move past their barricades, that leaves the Black Staraptors as the first opponent. When they're defeated, move towards the others. They'd have to around the barricade regardless."

Jeralt let out an amused chuckle. "Not bad. You're a pretty good tactician."

N waved a hand in disagreement. "What I pointed out, anyone can realize. A real tactician needs to worry about the nitty-gritty details of a battle."

"I think you're selling yourself short," Jeralt replied crossing his arms on his chest.

N shrugged. "Maybe, but I don't teach tactics."

Before Jeralt could respond, the sound of a horn filled the air. N and Jeralt looked up to see the church's banner waving in the air, along with several knights.

"Looks like they're here," N said as he stood up.

"Let's get to our position," Jeralt said pointing to hill on the edge of the field.

N nodded and followed the older man. He took a moment to look back towards the group entering the field. He could see the students behind the rows of knights sent as protection. His gaze fell on Byleth's class. She walked in front of her students like she was meant to be there. It made him smile seeing that. As if noticing his gaze, Byleth turned towards him. Even if she was far away, he could still make out the faint smile she sent his way. N smiled back and gave her a thumbs up. His way of saying good luck.

"N! Stop staring into space!" Jeralt called out.

"Right! Sorry." N turned on his heel and followed Jeralt to the hill.

—-

Once the three houses were in position, Jeralt laid out the rules of the mock battle. He had a cone shaped contraption that helped amplify his voice. N took that time to survey all the houses. Those that carried weapons wielded blunted training weapons. Nothing that could harm the students too much, but injury was still possible. He was a bit more worried about those who mainly used magic, as those with limited experience could sometimes not precisely use it.

He turned attention to the teachers of each house. All of them were acting as the general of their respective force. He knew that Byleth was capable of leading people, as whenever Jeralt was predisposed she would lead the band. He wondered how the other two teachers would fair. He had only limited interaction with them, as he told himself to avoid both of them. He wondered how they taught. He only knew what some of the students had mentioned. Then again, he barely knew how Byleth taught.

Overall, he was curious to see who would come out on top.

"One final rule, your creature partner is allowed to battle," Jeralt said.

N perked up at that. He assumed the students would use them, but never got an outright confirmation. Now he was even more curious. Battle like this was different to the one on one battles he was teaching. He made a mental note to teach them about this kind of battle as well.

_Glad I packed herbs and berries to heal them._

With another horn, the mock battle began. N watched as the students got in the position their teachers ordered them too. Like N had anticipated, The Golden Stantlers assumed a position behind the barricade. Claude stood behind it, as his specialty with a bow made his position optimal. With him was Hilda who served more as Claude's defense. N chuckled, it was likely that Hilda was enjoying the assignment as it required the least amount of effort. The other students were positioned in the small forested area, bordering the Black Staraptor's territory.

As Byleth moved her class on the offensive. When they began to move, N could hear Claude teasing Dimitri. He chuckled a bit. He appreciated Claude's relaxed nature. Plus, distractions on the battlefield meant you could lose your life. N watched as her students raced on the battlefield towards their opponents. Some took positions in the forested area, while others continued to move forwards in the open field. N then realized that his initial assessment of the positioning was incorrect.

"Oh, I get it now," N muttered.

"Finally noticed?" Jeralt asked.

N nodded. "I thought that Byleth would be at the disadvantage, but they have the slight edge over the other two classes. The other two houses need to divide their forces in order to properly attack and defend. In this case, the Black Staraptors are at the disadvantage due to having to fight on two fronts. The Golden Stantlers only really have to defend the barricades while the rest go on the offensive."

Jeralt chuckled lightly. "Not a bad assessment."

"Guess I'm a pretty bad tactician," N replied.

N turned his attention back to the battlefield. The Blue Pyroars focused their offensive on the Black Staraptors. Pushing them back to the concrete structure where Professor Manuela was. There had yet to be any crossing of blades, but magical blasts had been exchanged and attacks from the students partners. N noticed how effectively they used their partners for this. He had not taught them a lot about battle, but the basics in usual tactics helped greatly. Though, he did notice things that needed improvement. N smiled to himself. He was happy there were lessons he could teach the students.

When steel met each other, N was ready to go out and heal the injured. He watched as Felix defeat Caspar, using his superior speed to overwhelm the ax wielding teen. Despite having the disadvantage, Honedge defeated Drilbur. However, Ferdinand was able to close the distance between him and Ashe, besting the archer. The grey-haired teen's Treeko did manage to defeat his Farfetch'd with its superior speed. Despite the victory, Ashe recalled his Treeko as he moved away from the battlefield.

N made his way towards the grey-haired teen to make sure he was not hurt.

"You did well out here," N said as he looked over Ashe's limbs.

Ashe laughed sheepishly. "Thanks. I wish I had been more help."

"Don't beat yourself up. I was watching, you held your own well. Just need to switch between weapons a bit faster. Plus, Treeko beat Farfetch'd."

"That was impressive. I thought he had me beat there." Ashe turned to the green reptile, who smiled at his partner.

N laughed as he finished looking over Ashe. He pulled a berry out from his bad and gave it to Treeko. The green reptile happily took it, munching on it with glee.

"You two should be good to go," N said.

"Thanks, Professor. But shouldn't you've tended to Ferdinand's Farfetch'd first?"

"Technically yes, but I can't interfere with people still on the battlefield. I can only tend to those who were defeated. Speaking of which, I need to get to Caspar," N answered.

"Don't let me keep you," Ashe replied.

N nodded and stood up. "Keep up the good work. Also, I'm rooting for your class."

The grey haired teen's mood brightened hearing N's words. He was not supposed to show favoritism, but Byleth was his closest friend. He could not help but root for who he was closest to.

He made his way to Caspar. He did the same thing he did with Ashe with him. He made sure the teen did not have any injuries. He had a bruise on his thigh, but nothing life threatening. He used some herbs as pain killers and applied a bit of healing magic to the bruise. When he finished with Caspar, he moved on to Drilbur. The only thing that the mole had wounded was its pride. N chuckled as the mole tried to deny the berry, but ended up taking it any way.

After a short conversation with the teen, N noticed that the Blue Pyroars had pushed the Black Staraptors back. The students that had yet to be bested were Edelgard and Hubert. Meanwhile, Byleth's class were still only without Ashe. N could not help but be impressed with her leadership skills. He chalked up Ashe being bested to her inexperience leading the class.

When all of the Black Staraptors were defeated, N moved to where they were all gathered. He made sure that everyone was relatively uninjured. He could not help but chuckle a bit when someone would answer that the only thing that was injured was their pride. N would not respond to that, as it would make it obvious he was picking a side. However, he expected that the more astute students knew he had a soft spot for Byleth and her class.

When he got to Edelgard, she was quick to strike a conversation with him.

"You seem to be in high spirits."

"Am I?" N asked.

"Indeed you are. Is it because your friend is winning?" A slight scowl appeared on her face.

"A bit. I'm not supposed to take sides, but it's hard not to root for someone close to you," N answered.

"At least you're honest."

N sighed. He had to hide his admiration for Byleth's growing confidence better. What had got him in a good mood, was how well Byleth led the class. Normally she was quiet and reserved, never speaking too often. Even the few times she led members of the band, her orders would be short and to the point.

"I thought your class did well to hold out as long as you did," N said changing the subject.

Edelgard sighed. "I wasn't anticipating an all out offensive from the new Professor."

"She does tend to do that. When we would spar, her main focus was always offense. Very rarely was she ever on the defensive," N said. "She must've applied that experience here."

"High praise."

"I'm not trying to bring your efforts down," N said with a sigh. "Sorry, I'm not very good at these kinds of things."

Edelgard chuckled. Her serious expression vanishing. "It's fine. You admire her a lot. I can respect that."

"Thanks," N said with a relieved sigh. "We can chat more later. I got to move on to the others."

"I'll be fine. Though, I think this will be over soon."

N rose an eyebrow in confusion. The Golden Stantlers still had to be defeated. Seeming to read N's thoughts, Edelgard pointed towards where the Golden Stantlers were positioned. N looked over his shoulder to see that half of the Golden Stantler students had been defeated.

"Better make my way over there," N said as he put a hand in the bad he had. He pulled out a berry and gave to Rufflet, who used its beak to bite into it.

He turned his attention to where he was needed next.

—

The Blue Pyroars had emerged victorious in the mock battle. They had emerged victorious, and only two of the students had been defeated, Ashe and Ingrid. Despite being a bit disappointed in being defeated, they still joined their class in the victory.

N watched from afar. He still had to make sure the Golden Stantler students were all uninjured. Each student he tended to would say what had gotten the best of them in battle. N would simply nod and listen. He would let the students vent a bit. Though Leonie and Lorenz's venting grew a bit annoying the more he listened. The final student he tended to was Claude. He complimented Byleth and the Blue Pyroars compared to the others.

"You think you underestimated them?" N asked.

"Nah. I think it's more about being surprised," Claude answered. "I was surprised at how effective Teach leads. Dimitri and the others had full faith in her."

N nodded in agreement. "To be honest, I was surprised too. I've never seen her so expressive before."

"Expressive?" Claude asked with a laugh. "She looked pretty stone faced to me."

"The more you get to know her the easier it becomes to figure out what she's thinking."

"Is that so? She's a lot more interesting than I thought. Wish she joined out house," Claude mused.

N said nothing in response. Their conversation ended soon after that, as well as his healing. He cleared Claude and gave his Deerling the last berry in his pouch. The two parted ways and N joined the healers the Church assigned to him. Once they all agreed that all the students were healthy, they went their separate ways.

N let out a breath once he was alone. He never expected leading a group of people would be so exhausting. It was different kind of fatigue compared to battle. He chalked it up to mental fatigue. He looked back to see that Byleth and her class were gathered and talking amongst each other. Soon after, they were joined by the other classes. N smiled and turned away. He still had to check in with Jeralt.

N and Jeralt met half way. The older man strode towards the teen on his Mudsdale. When the two met up, he jumped off his partner. He fed it an apple from the pouch on the saddle.

"That's a good girl," Jeralt mumbled. He then turned to N. "Good work out there, kid."

"Thanks. I'm just glad no one was hurt too badly," N replied.

"The most that can happen in something like this is small cuts and bruises."

"Better to be safe than sorry," N said.

Before Jeralt could respond, a voice was calling out to them. The two turned to see Ashe jogging towards them. N waved enthusiastically towards his students, while Jeralt simply raised his hand. When the teen arrived, he placed his hand on his knees and took in deep breaths.

"What's up, Ashe?" N asked.

"You left the field before we could call out to you," Ashe answered.

"You guys were all healthy. I was no longer needed," N said.

"I guess that's true. Anyways, we're all getting together to celebrate. We wanted you to join us," Ashe said.

N's eyes widened slightly in surprise and pointed a finger at himself. He did not expect to be asked to join. He assumed since he was not a teacher for a house, he should not meddle too much with the houses.

"Me?"

Ashe nodded enthusiastically. "Well, of course."

"Go on," Jeralt said as he slapped the green haired professor's back. "It's not often you get to act like a teenager." He finished his sentence with a smile.

N rolled his eyes at the older man. He turned back to Ashe, who was still eagerly awaiting his answer. N let out a breath and shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure. Sounds fun," N said.

Ashe's smile widened. "Great. We should catch up with the others."

"After you," N replied.

Ashe nodded and turned to walk. N bid farewell to Jeralt and followed the grey haired teen to where the others were gathered. N looked up to the setting sky. He smiled as he saw the mix of red, orange, and blue. He felt like he was on a better path.

"Hey, there he is!"

N looked up to see Claude waving towards him.

"Took you long enough. Now we can really celebrate."

Claudes words brought about cheers from everyone present. The group of students and the two new professors made their way back up the mountain, towards a post battle celebration. N smiled the whole way and talked with everyone. He really did feel like he belonged. Even if a part of him still wanted to be a bit more free.

—

The setting sun's light pierced through a window in the Imperial Palace in the capital city of Enbarr. The sunlight entered a large room. The walls were lined with bookshelves, all stuffed with books ranging from centuries old to only a few weeks only. In the middle of the room was a desk. Books were stacked on it. Ancient tomes as well as newer books. At the desk sat an older man. He had pale green hair, almost white and red eyes. He wore a red eyepatch over his left eye. He wore black robes with an eye etched on his left side. The collar was perked up which covered his mouth. His left arm was hidden beneath his robe, while his right hand was being used as pointer as he read one of the older tomes.

He let out a disappointed sigh as he closed the tome with a resounding thud. He moved the tome aside and moved to grab another. Before he could, the left side of his body began to burn with pain. His right arm immediately went to his left side as he tried to soothe the pain.

As if teleporting, a younger man appeared. He had long white hair with grey eyes. He wore a headband and mask on his face. A brown sleeveless shirt and similarly colored pants. When he appeared, he kneeled in front of the man. When he looked up, he saw the man writhing in pain. He quickly shot up and rushed to the man's side.

"Lord Ghetsis! What's wrong?" the white haired man asked.

"The drawer! The drawer!" the man, now named Ghetsis, wheezed as he pointed.

The white haired man's eyes darted to where he was pointing and saw the drawer. He opened it and saw a closed bag.

"Water," Ghetsis wheezed again.

The white haired man's eyes moved to the small table by the window. There was a jug of water and a cup. He poured water into the cup and delivered it to Ghetsis. In the bag was a pale yellow powder and Ghetsis put a spoonful of it in the water. Without bothering to mix it, he drank the water. He could feel as the pain began to subside. When it was bearable, he slammed the cup onto the desk.

The white haired man returned to his kneeling position in front of the desk. Ghetsis was pleased to see that he was disciplined. Ghetsis collected himself before giving his full attention to the white haired man.

"Yes, Shadow?"

"I have an update. But first, do you remain unwell?" Shadow asked.

"I'll live. Now, the update," Ghestsis answered.

"The beast had been located."

Ghetsis' pain immediately disappeared when he heard those words. A pleased half smile formed on his face. It was still difficult to for him to move his left side.

"Where?"

"The farthest point north of Faerghus. Exactly where eludes us at the moment," Shadow answered.

"Where is that scatterbrained scientist?"

"En route to Faerghus. He was the one who discovered the location."

Ghetsis scowled. He did not fully trust the so called scientist that was entrusted with both the study of the creatures and his health. However, he was slowly proving himself. The medicine he had concocted was working, and his research into the legendary dragons was bearing fruit.

"We leave for Faerghus immediately," Ghetsis said as he stood from his chair. He grabbed the cane that rested at the side of the desk. "Fetch Anthea and Concordia. They will finally be of some use to me."

Shadow bowed his head. "As you wish, Lord Ghetsis."

In the blink of an eye, Shadow was gone. Ghetsis let his guard drop when the man was no longer in the room.

"After so long. After so many setbacks, my plans will finally be set into motion. No one will be able to stand in my way now," Ghetsis muttered to himself as he walked to the door.

When he opened the door, the two knights that guarded the door stood straight in attention.

"I'll be leaving Enbarr for some time. I have to leave immediately. Could you please inform the Emperor," Ghetsis said.

"Of course, Lord Ghetsis," one of the knights said.

Ghetsis nodded in acknowledgement. He made his way to where his loyal followers were stationed. He had to inform someone else of his departure as well. He made his way to the stables, where a large, black armored bird was. It wore a saddle that did not hinder its ability to fly. The large bird turned to Ghetsis and roared at him.

"Relax Corvinknight, it's only me," Ghetsis grumbled.

Corvinkight roared again. Ghetsis did not move, but the others around him grew weary of the bird.

"You'll be reunited with your partner soon. Very soon, in fact." Ghetsis took out a scroll from within his robes. "Deliver this to her if you would. She must be informed of my departure."

Ghetsis moved the bird's side and placed the scroll into the pouch on its saddle. The black bird moved outside of its stable into the open field. The bird flapped its wings causing for the winds to intensify. With another powerful flap, Corvinknight took to the sky.

Ghetsis smiled again. He was sure the Flame Emperor would be pleased with the development.

—-

In the middle of the night, Edelgard awoke in a cold sweat. It was the same dream that always plagued her. She was positive it was a nightmare at this point. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and slowly sat up on her bed.

_I need some air._

Edelgard sat up, grabbed a coat, and exited her room. It was late spring, but the nights could still be chilly. She draped the coat over her shoulders as she exited the dormitory for the nobles. When she descended the stairs, she made sure the no one was around before walking into the moonlit area. The dormitory was close to the pond in front of the dining hall, it would usually be the best spot to simply stare up at the sky within the monastery. The sight of the moon and stars calmed her down as she slowly began to forget the nightmare that plagued her.

"I know Zorua, but there was something I needed to do," a voice said.

Edelgard turned to where she heard the voice was coming from. Her hand went to the dagger she had hidden in her coat. She relaxed a bit when she saw who it was. The moonlight illuminated N's presence. He was not wearing armor, but had a sword sheathed at his hip. His Zorua was perched on his shoulder as usual.

N looked up to see Edelgard staring at him. He smiled kindly towards her as he walked towards her. He could tell she was tense about something. As N got closer, Edelgard relaxed more and let her arms fall to her sides. N stood next to her and stared up at the sky. He assumed that was the reason why she was out.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?"

Edelgard turned her attention back to the sky. "I think so."

"Can't sleep?"

Edelgard's gaze moved towards the reflection of the moon in the water. "You could say that."

"Ah, a nightmare then."

Edelgard's eyes widened as she turned to N. However, her surprise was now to see an understanding smile on his face. "How did…?"

"I have them too," N answered. "Makes it impossible to sleep at times."

"Yes, it was a nightmare. One that I've had since I was a child. It's frustrating," Edelgard said.

"One of those. I understand all too well."

Edelgard looked towards the new professor again. He was still staring at the sky. She followed his gaze and he was still staring at the moon. She turned back to him. His look of understanding was still there. Edelgard could only guess what he experienced in order to have a similar dream. There was the possibility that they were more alike than she anticipated.

"If you don't mind me asking, what're they about?" N asked, concern laced in his voice.

Edelgard was silent for a moment. This person she just met was concerned for her. There was ulterior motive to him. He genuinely wanted to know because he was worried.

"Just… my childhood. A time before I discovered who I was destined to become," she answered.

"I guess we both had bad childhoods. If you want to talk about it, you can trust me. Maybe listening to you will help me open up as well," N replied.

Edelgard was stunned again. The person in front of her aged several years despite only being a year older than her. His kind smile had yet to fade, but she could see the pain in his eyes.

"I suppose I could try, but swear you won't tell anyone!"

N nodded. "I won't, not until you feel ready to."

Edelgard could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. Before she could turn red, she composed herself. It was a painful story, but maybe talking to someone about it would help. Edelgard told him the story of her siblings and how she became the only one left. How before she could barely speak each one of them were dying from disease, losing their mind, or simply died for another reason.

As she told the story, N's expression never changed. He took in each detail and the pain in his heart grew. For someone so young to experience so much loss hurt N a lot more than he was anticipating. But the only expression he could muster was one of sympathy.

When the story concluded, Edelgard took in a breath and released it. While N released one that he did not know he was holding in.

"So much loss. That's awful," N said.

"Things just kept getting worse. The darkness got darker. In the end, I was the only one who survived. The nightmares are a reminder to never forget. To never allow such a thing to happen again," Edelgard replied.

This time, N was silent. He processed her words. It was likely that those event were what shaped her convictions. He respected that. Wanting to change something in order to make life easier. However, he could also see that it was way to avoid thinking about the past. For the first time in the night, N's gaze moved towards the ground.

"I think… Never mind. Forget I said anything," N said.

Edelgard rose an eyebrow, but did not say anything. "I'm now the only one who can carry the weight of the Adrestrian Empire. The future of everything depends on me." She paused for a moment. "I shared a bit too much. I suppose there's something in the air. I've never told anyone about my past before. Please forget I said anything. Sleep well, Professor."

She turned to leave. As she walked past N, she saw that his eyes returned to staring at the moon.

"Maybe it's because I'm a stranger."

"Hm?"

"Because I'm still more or less a stranger to you, it's easier to speak to me."

N then turned to Edelgard. The kind expression returning to his face. The pained eyes he had had disappeared. His grey eyes now showed understanding.

"That weight you think is yours to bear, you should allow others to help you bear it. I know it's hypocritical coming from someone who is too afraid to talk about his past, but I've shared a bit of my burden with Byleth. It helps me keep going."

Edelgard once again saw the aged version of N. The version was the cause of her curiosity of him. She, again, wondered what caused for someone to age so much by simply talking. She was broken from her thoughts when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"If you ever feel the need to share something else, come talk to me. I'll make sure to speak about myself as well. That way we'll understand each other better, maybe."

Edelgard chuckled. "How're you only a year older than me?"

N was not sure how to respond to that question. It was possible it was rhetorical.

"Good night, Professor. I look forward to our next moonlit talk," Edelgard said.

N nodded and removed the hand he placed on her shoulder. "Good night, Edelgard."

As Edelgard walked away, N turned back to gazing at the moon. There was something about it that felt like he was connected to someone. Zorua then let out a yawn, breaking N from his thoughts. N turned to the fox and chuckled.

"You were awfully quiet during that conversation."

Zorua yawned again.

"Okay I get. Let's get some sleep."

**AN: Here ends this chapter. First I want to apologize for taking so long. Before I could finish the chapter my laptop was acting funny so I had to take it to get fixed. Also, I had final week before I sent my laptop to get fixed so I was swamped with uni work. I've also been grinding out Breath of the Wild. I'm trying to keep myself busy in this quarantine. **

**With that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This chapter beings to lay the seeds of what is going on behind the scenes. Plus out first view of Ghetsis. What are his plans I wonder? Can any of you guess? I also put in what could be considered one of N's support conversations. It's literately just Byleth's C support with her, but I changed it up a bit to fit N better. So expect them to interact a bit more often.**

**Okay, now for a few disclaimers. I have only beaten Three Houses once one the Blue Lions path. I only know bits and pieces of how Black Eagles go and a bit more of a concrete idea on the Golden Deer (thank Joe Zeiga for that). However, I'll sort of be making my own version of the ending but it will take a lot of inspiration from the Blue Lions ending. I hope you guys can understand what I'm trying to say. A second thing/announcement is that I will be including the Ashen Wolves in this story. The Cindered Shadows side story is important to Byleth's character and I feel like it should be told. Things will change slightly in that side story but events will largely stay the same. Though I haven't decided if I'll make it a whole separate story or make it a part of this one.**

**With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's a bit on the shorter side, so I apologize for that. Stay tuned for the next chapter. If you're enjoying this story feel free to follow, favorite and/or review. You should also follow me on Twitter. I post story updates and other stuff there.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A Day To Himself

The weekend after the mock battle was the first time since arriving at the monastery that N had some free time. The week before the mock battle was consumed with him getting used to his new position as a teacher. He had spent what little free time he had planning lessons and getting to know the students, as well as the staff. To him, the staff was more eccentric than the students. He had gone to Professor Manuela for some medicine the day after the mock battle and that was an experience he wanted to forget. Manuela's flirting was a bit too aggressive and he spent the entire time there very uncomfortable. However, the Pikachu she had with her was her partner was a lot easier to talk to and shared N's sentiments. He was surprised that her partner was a Pikachu.

He had gone to see Professor Hanneman as well. His obsession with Crest research just made him ramble on about things that went over N's head. When asked him to put some of his blood on a dial he kept in his office was the moment he wanted to leave. He ended up giving in to Hanneman's request. When his blood reacted to the dial, a strange symbol appeared in front of him. Hanneman mumbled something to himself as N studied the symbol. It looked like two raindrops put together with dots in the center of each of them. One raindrop was more jagged. It reminded N of lighting. The second had smoother protrusions, yet they still ended in a pointed edge. It almost looked like fire. Hanneman had deduced that it was crest he had never seen before, so his immediate reaction was to study it. He ignored N's presence and began to converse with his Kadabra, who was just as invested in the research.

After that, N made sure to only go back when absolutely necessary. The other personnel of the monastery and Officer's Academy were a bit easier to talk to. Seteth was still distrustful of him and would make it a point for him to not speak to his sister Flayn. Alois was still the same person he met that day. But now he had to listen to his bad jokes more frequently. Rhea was another enigma. He was slightly distrustful of her, as he kindness and attitude did not seem genuine. However, there was a warmness to her that did not feel forced.

Finally there was Jeritza. He was swords master of the academy. He was always silent and would rarely speak. N tried to strike a conversation with him, but he would never respond with something to keep the conversation going. However, whenever N spoke about his partner Scizor, he would speak more than usual. That made N curious about his skills in battle. He had witnessed a spar he had, so his skills with a blade were something he did not question. When N brought up battles with his partner, he was more inclined to talk.

On the current day, N decided to explore beyond the Officer's Academy's grounds. He wanted to know what else the monastery held. If N was being honest with himself, he had yet to see the monastery portion of Garreg Mach. Now that the whole new professor thing had settled down, He was had bit more free range around Garreg Mach. The layout of everything was pretty straight forward. One could easily find their way around. However, N decided to just walk and take everything in as he walked.

He surprised to find a small graveyard by the Knight's Hall. When he descended the steps towards the graveyard, he saw Jeralt standing in front of one of the graves. He had a solemn expression as he simply stared at the head stone. He did notice N walk up to him until he was at his side.

"Kid? When did you get here?"

"A few moments ago. I was just walking around when I saw you here," N said.

"Oh. Guess I was lost in thought," Jeralt replied.

N turned to the head stone. The name was barely legible but he could faintly make out the first name: Sitri. N could only guess who the person was. He assumed the person was female, as the name sounded feminine, but he could have been wrong.

"Is the person buried here someone you knew?" N asked.

Jeralt nodded. "You could say that."

"I see. Well, I'll let you two catch up," N said as he turned on his heel.

Jeralt chuckled. "You're strange, you know that?"

"You've told me many times. Tell them only the good stuff about me."

N could see as Jeralt's mood improve as he walked away. The person was obviously close to him, but he wanted to hear about them from Jeralt himself. Since the person was probably someone he knew from his days as a knight. Which meant that Byleth likely did not know about them.

N walked into the main hall and found that it led to a long bridge. There were people walking up and down the bridge. Most were dressed in church attire rather than knight armor. He assumed that the bridge led to the actual monastery, or a close equivalent. When he reach the end of the bridge, he marveled at how big the structure in front of him was. It easily towered over everything else, making look even grander. N was hesitant to walk past its gate, but his curiosity was telling him to investigate. As he walked past the gate, Byleth sprinted past him. He barely caught a glimpse of her as she ran.

"Hi, N. Bye, N," she said as she ran past him.

"Hi, Byelth," he said back.

He scratched his head in confusion, wondering where she was going in such a hurry. He shrugged and made a mental note to ask later.

When he walked into the building, he was not surprised it was the actual cathedral, but he was taken aback by how grandiose it was. Everything looked ornate and well maintained. It was obvious that this place was the heart of the monastery. He walked towards the front of the cathedral, where a statue of a woman was located. At her sides were two dragons. One dragon was bulky, with a pointed, cone shaped tail. The second dragon was sleeker with a strange looking tail. It almost looked like a chimney.

"Reshiram and Zekrom," N muttered.

N looked down towards the woman's feet to see another, smaller stature. It was the face of a creature, nothing else. N walked closer to it to get a better look.

"I wouldn't get closer if I were you," a soft voice said.

N looked back to see Marianne staring at him. She had a praying posture, her hands clasped together and close to her face. Hiding behind her was her Espurr, which peeked form behind her uniform. The blue haired girl had the same tired expression N had always seen.

"Why not?" N asked turning back to the statue.

"They say that the statue represents a beast of incredible strength. Even greater than the two legendary dragons. However, its rage incarnate," Marianne answered.

"Is that so."

"Though, Zekrom isn't much better," Marianne added.

"I'm not that well acquainted with the legend. What makes Zekrom so evil?" N turned to face Marianne.

"Reshiram is favored by the goddess and is said to be the true reincarnation of her child. Zekrom was jealous of that and resented both the goddess and Reshiram," Marianne explained.

"Is that right?"

"So the legend goes anyway," Marianne added.

N turned back to the statues. At first he marveled at the sight of them, now he was curious about the legend of the dragons, as well as the third beast. He took a few steps back, standing next to Marianne, to take in all of the statues. He then noticed a white orb that the statue of the woman held. Something about it drew him in, as if a voice was calling out to him.

_Child of Flames…_

N felt a headache coming along. He felt the pain in his head begin to grow. What once was a soft voice became a roar of rage. It was as if two beings were at war inside his head, and he was merely a spectator. He could hear roar that was like thunder and another like a roaring fire.

"Are you alright?"

Marianne's voice broke through all the turmoil in his brain and the voices stopped. N looked towards his student, who had a concerned look on her face.

"I'm fine. Just a slight headache," N said.

"It's because you're in my presence, right?"

N rose an eyebrow. Wondering what that meant and where it came from. "Pardon?"

"I'm cursed."

"Cursed?"

Marianne nodded slowly and took a few steps away from N. "You shouldn't get so close to me."

"What happened to me was not caused by you. I'm not sure what happened, but I'm positive you did not do anything."

However, N's words did not change the expression of sadness and guilt on her face. N wondered what happened in her life for her to believe such a thing.

"I should go. I don't want to cause anymore trouble for you."

Marianne turned and walked away before N could say anything. He turned back to the statues, wondering if they had somehow spoken to him. He quickly dismissed that notion, however.

"I must be going crazy if I think statues can talk."

N chalked up his experience to an old memory trying to rear its ugly head. He instinctively grabbed the black sphere of his necklace before taking one last look at the white orb in the woman's hands. He once again heard the whisper. He could only wonder where it was coming from.

"Maybe the library is a good place to start," N mused as he turned to exit the cathedral.

—

When N found the library, he was not surprised how devoid of people it was. There were only three people in the library. One person was a student that had fallen asleep at one of the tables. Books were stacked around him and a few were open. A Munna was hovering over them. When N stepped closer to them, he recognized the person as Linhardt. Deciding to not disturb him, he quietly moved passed him. Though he could only wonder why he was asleep in the library and not in his room.

The person was an aide to Rhea, but a much smaller capacity. They simply fetched whatever she needed in that moment. He did not have much of an interaction with them as they exited the library after finding what they needed.

The final person was an older man, likely the oldest in the monastery that N had seen. He wore the clothes of a priest and walked with the assistance of a cane. He smiled warmly at N when he noticed him.

"You must be one of the new professors, right?"

N nodded. "Yes, sir. My name's N. I teach the students about the creatures."

"It's been some time since the Officer's Academy had a teacher for that subject. It's nice to know the students are being taught about them," the older man said.

"So I've been told. If you don't mind me asking, who're you?"

The older man let out a wheezy chuckle. "Of course. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Tomas. I'm just a humble priest at the monastery."

"It's nice to meet you."

N took a moment to properly acquaint himself with Tomas. Tried to find anything that felt out of place about his demeanor. However, he found nothing. Nothing jumped out at him as off putting. Tomas was really just an old man.

"However, you are the professor for the creatures, yet you don't have one with you," Tomas said.

N looked to his shoulder, expecting to find Zorua there, but it was not. He then remembered that he had left the fox in the dormitory sleeping.

"I do actually. My partner is a Zorua. It's back in my room sleeping. Though, its probably awake by now," N said.

"Ah, Zorua are rare. You have a most interesting partner," Tomas replied.

"How about you? Do you have a partner?" N asked.

"A long time ago. That life is long behind me."

"I see."

There was brief pause between the two. To N it felt like Tomas was also further acquaint himself with him. There was something about the look in the old man's eye that caused him to take a small step back. He chalked it up to being nervous, but there was something else about it as well.

"It was nice to get to know you, Professor. But I must take my leave," Tomas said.

N nodded. "Of course. It was nice to meet you as well."

As Tomas slowly began to exit the library, N turned to the bookshelf the old man was standing by. He skimmed through the spines of the books, trying to find something about the legendary dragons. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tomas making it to the door.

_It doesn't hurt to ask, _N thought with a shrug. "Excuse me, Tomas."

The old man stopped and turned to the young professor.

"Would you happen to know where the books about the legendary dragons are?"

Tomas smiled and used his cane to point at a bookshelf across the room. "They should be over there."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

N did not make a move towards the bookshelf until Tomas had exited the library. When he did, N quickly moved to where the old man had pointed. He was surprised to see just how many books there about them. Most of them involved Reshiram and the legend surrounding it, but N still considered that something worth looking into. His eyes then fell on an older book. The spine was worn and wrinkly. When N took it out, its pages were mostly yellow. N took that book and few others and placed them on a table. He sat down and began to skim through them, starting with the newer books.

"The legendary dragons? That's interesting," A sleepy voice said.

N looked up to see Linhardt staring at the book he was looking at. He jumped in fright at the sight of him. He looked to where the sleeping student once was and there was only the stacks of books he had.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," Linhardt said.

"It's fine. I just wasn't expecting that."

"So, tell me, why're you looking into the legendary dragons?"

"I was curious. I've only heard the names of the dragons, never what they did," N answered.

"Here I thought most people already knew about the legend," Linhardt said.

"From the looks of things, there's a lot to the legend," N replied.

Linhardt shrugged. "There always is." The green haired teen let out a yawn. "Tell me what you find. We can trade notes."

N watched as the teen walked back over to his stack of book, and promptly went back to sleep. N was still baffled that he could simply sleep where ever he pleased. N turned his attention back to the book he was skimming, trying to find something of interest.

The newer books did not have much information on the dragons. Just the basics of what they represented in the legend. Reshiram was good and Zekrom was evil. What N wanted to know was of their origin and place within the Church of Seiros. Despite being considered evil, Zekrom was prominently displayed in a lot of the artwork in the Cathedral and around the monastery.

When he began to look through the older books, he began to slowly find what he was looking for. He was surprised when he found out the last time Reshiram and Zekrom were seen was almost 1,000 yeas ago. It was also the last time two massive armies clashed in battle. It was also the last time a creature known as Charizard was seen. N remembered seeing a depiction of an orange dragon. He wondered if that was a Charizard.

From what N read, Reshiram was commanded by Seiros. Which likely meant the statue of the woman was Seiros. N realized she was also what the church itself was named after. He could only wonder exactly who Seiros was.

Then there was Zekrom. The black dragon was commanded by someone by the name of Nemesis. He also commanded a Charizard. He was painted as the villain of the battle. His defeat caused for Zekrom and Reshiram to disappear from the world. Where they went, the book did not say.

N assumed that Reshiram and Zekrom had to be incredibly powerful. They could also could only be partners with someone of equal strength. N wondered what it took to become a partner of a legend.

What he could still not understand was the reason for calling Zekrom evil. N always stood by one philosophy; a creature was not inherently evil, its partner was the source of that evil. He could only assume that Nemesis was the evil that plagued Zekrom.

However, he still wanted to know about the dragons themselves. Learning about the battle did help him understand a bit more about the legend.

He opened the final book he had taken. It was the older one with the worn spine and yellow pages. He carefully opened it and began to read. As he read, he realized that this was the book he was looking for. It told stories from before the war of Zekrom and Reshiram. The two were considered to be opposites of each other. Black and White. Truth and ideals.

Then came a bit about their origin. N had become so enthralled in his reading that he had not noticed he was reading aloud.

"Reshiram and Zekrom are said to be born from the progenitor god, Sothis."

That name caused for N to raise an eyebrow.

"Sothis? Who's that? A creature or a person?"

Zekrom would come to someone who held a strong truth. Reshiram would appear for those with a strong ideal. N wondered what Seiros and Nemesis had that made the dragons chose them as a partner. He had to believe that Zekrom would now its partner was evil. However, he had no way of knowing if Nemesis was truly evil anyway. He had to wonder what caused the battle from almost 1,000 years ago. The other book did not delve deep into that origin.

He pushed that thought aside to focus again on the dragons. Both are said to have the power to destroy the world. Reshiram with blue flames and Zekrom with bolts of lightening.

N let out a breath and look towards the ceiling. There was so much to just two creatures. In his mind appeared the symbol he had seen in Hanneman's office; the jagged and smooth raindrops. He wondered if the raindrops' shape implied the two legendary dragons. There was also the circle in the middle of the two raindrops. He could only guess what that meant, if it even had a meaning.

He returned to the book, trying to find if there was anything about a third creature. As he flipped through pages, he could not find the information he was looking for. There was a passage about the icy heart that made up the two dragons, but he concluded that was a metaphor about something relating to the dragons.

When he closed the book, he was surprised to hear the sound echo. He looked up to see that he was the only one in the library. Even Linhardt had left, however, the stack of books he had remained on the table.

He put the books back where he found the and exited the library. When he did, he was surprised to see that it was already sunset.

_Was I really in there for that long? _N thought as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Ah, Professor, you're here as well" a feminine voice said.

N turned to see Flayn standing in front of him.

"Flayn, right?" N asked.

The green haired girl nodded enthusiastically. "Indeed. I'm glad you remember my name despite us only meeting once."

"Well, Seteth always makes it point for me to not talk to you. It's hard to forget that," N admitted sheepishly.

"That brother of mine. He's way too overprotective. I know you're not a bad person," Flayn replied.

_There it is again. I still don't think they're siblings, _N thought. "It's going to be hard to get through his prickly exterior."

Flayn giggled at N's choice of words. "You're not wrong. Anyways, why were you at the library? If you don't mind me asking."

"Just studying up on some history. It helped understand something a bit better. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. However, I will say, some students have been looking for you all day," Flayn said.

N's face paled at her words. He had never anticipated that students wanted to see him during their day off.

"Crap, really? I guess I'll have to apologize to them later," N said. "Regardless, I should be getting back to my room. Got to get some rest and get ready to teach tomorrow."

"I'm sorry for keeping you," Flayn said.

"Don't worry about it. It was fun to talk to you," N replied.

"Likewise. I hope we can chat again."

The two then parted ways. N was left with two lingering thoughts. One was that impossibility that they were siblings. The second was just what really was the Church of Seiros and what connection did they have to the legendary dragons.

—

The blizzard was the worst thing he had ever experienced. He was not bothered by the frigid temperatures, what did bother him was how hard it was get accurate data. He had spent days trying to traverse the frozen wastelands of northern Faergus in search of an elusive cave, but the constant blizzards kept preventing that. He knew he was in the right direction, but the blizzards kept throwing him off course. He stopped moving when he heard the sound of a familiar hum.

"Did you find anything, Magnezone?"

From within the blizzard emerged an odd looking creature. It was shaped like a domed saucer. At its center was a singular red eye. To its sides was another eye, but those did not appear to move. At the top of the dome was a yellow antenna. Its underside was adorned with a u-shaped metal object that could light up. The creature was metallic and did not have an animal like traits.

Megnezone let out a metallic grunt. The man nodded and placed a hand atop the dome.

"You sensed magnetic disturbances in that direction. Most interesting. What of Beheeyem's status?"

Megnezone grunted again.

"Still checking the perimeter I take it."

The man paused and put a hand on his chin as he mused. If he wanted to, he could continue moving forwards in the direction Magnezone had found the disturbance. There was also the possibility that Beheeyem would find something.

"We'll return to camp. It's getting dark, and while that doesn't bother me, it makes data gathering all the more difficult," the man said as he pushed up his glasses.

Magnezone let out a mechanical whine.

"I understand we're on a tight deadline, but sometimes one must know when to stop. Besides, Ghetsis won't be arriving any time soon. I'm sure the others are freezing at the camp." The man let out an exasperated sigh. "Honestly, they have no sense of scientific advancement."

Magnezone grunted again, but the man did not respond. The man turned and began walking back to where the camp was. He made sure that he did not stray too far from it, as getting lost in a blizzard would be a terrible way to die. The bright lights of the camp soon filled his view and in front of the tent stood a guard.

"Master Colress! We were about to send a search party for you," the guard said.

Colress waved him off. "No need for that."

"Of course. However, the blizzard has picked up significantly. Are you sure you aren't cold?"

Colress looked towards his attire. He wore a black shirt and pants, adorned with a bit of blue. Over it he wore a thin lab coat. It was his usual attire whenever he was conducting research.

"Not in the slightest. Thank you for your concern."

The guard bowed his head. "Of course, sir. May I ask where Beheeyem is?"

"Finishing its perimeter sweet. You should see it soon," Colress answered. "If you'll excuse me."

"Of course." The guard moved to the side and opened the tent for Colress.

It was a large tent that easily fit everyone within his research group. His own space was fill with books, loose paper, and other trinkets he needed for his research. However, he was focused entirely on the book in front of him, the book he had taken from Garreg Mach Monastery. It was an old tome. Likely as old as the monastery. It gave the most information on the legendary dragons without the legends behind it. It was truly a scientific book, not an old religious text. He had poured through the pages, taking notes on the margins, and soaking up all the information the book had to offer. He had read the text cover to cover, but each time he read it he found there was more to learn.

What intrigued him the most about the book was the tale of a third dragon. In every old legend of the dragons, there was always two. There would vague mentions of a third, but never anything concrete. Colress wanted to study the third dragon, know everything there is to know and he was so close. Beyond the endless blizzard rested the third dragon.

"Master Colress."

Colress looked up from the tome. A fellow researcher was standing next to him, a scroll in hand.

"A message from Ghetsis?"

The researcher nodded.

"Give it here, Cedric."

Colress held out his hand and Cedric placed the scroll on it. Colress opened the scroll and began to read. It was a simple message, that he was making his way towards him as progress had been positive. For Colress that proved to be an annoyance. He had yet to find conclusive evidence of the location, but he knew Ghetsis was not a patient man. Colress let the scroll roll itself up again and let out a sigh as he took off his glasses.

_Just where are you hiding, Kyurem?_

—

"This'll be your new home."

N opened his eyes to see a giant entry way. It felt like the entry to a castle. This was place was supposed to be his? His eyes darted around the room, spotting all the doors that lined the entry way. He could only guess where each door led. A large staircase led to a second floor.

N was ushered forwards to the staircase. He looked up to see the man that now would be his father. N could almost believe his way his real father, as they shared a similar hair color. The man smiled warmly at him as their gaze met. Everything about him looked warm and inviting.

"Let's go upstairs. Your sisters are excited to meet you."

N nodded and slowly began to walk up the steps. The stairs reached a hallway that was lined with several doors. N turned left as he followed his father. They reached a door that has his name etched on a name plate. He ran his hand along the intricately written symbols. Under it was another symbol he did not know.

His father knocked on the door and N could hear the shuffling of footsteps.

"Is everything ready?"

A muffled yes came from behind the door. The door was opened and N entered a large room. It was so big that N felt even smaller than he already was. The room was brightly colored and was adorned with anything a four year old would like. However, what caught his attention the most were the two girls standing side by side in front of him. They looked to be a bit older than N. One was blonde and the other had pink hair.

His father walked in front of him and stood behind the two girls.

"Meet your new siblings Anthea and Concordia."

"It's nice to meet you," the girls said simultaneously.

N took a step back as their speaking at the same time caused him to be a bit scared. However, the two girls did not seem offended by his fear.

"No need to be afraid N. We're all family here," his father said.

However, N soon learned that that was not true at all. N, Anthea and Concordia were all tools for their adoptive father Ghetsis. When Ghetsis realized N was more useful to him than Anthea and Concordia, he practically disowned the two of them. The interactions between the siblings became minimal, Anthea and Concordia stopped referring to N as brother.

"Let's go, N. We have more to do," Ghetsis said.

"Please! I don't want to go! I'm scared!"

"You will be useful to me! Are you ungrateful for everything I've done for you?" Ghetsis growled.

N did not respond. He knew not to. Whenever he talked back to Ghetsis, he would snap. The last thing N wanted to do was make him angry. That meant another visit to Hydreigon. N considered all the creatures his friends, but Hydreigon was the only one who he feared.

"You've failed again, N."

N knew that tone of voice. The door in the room opened and N heard a low growl. The sound caused for a shiver go down his spine and his hairs to stand. N turned to see Hydreigon inching closer to him. N's pooled tears began to fall, his fear was over taking him.

"You will become king, N. It is why you are useful to me. One of the legendary dragons calls to you."

Hydreigon inched closer and closer. Each of its heads snapping at him. N found himself against the wall and the dark dragon would continue to stalk towards him. The middle head then lunged at him and he brought up his hands to protect himself. Everything went dark.

N shot up from his bed. The sudden movement caused for Zoura to wake. He ran a hand along his face and could feel the sweat that dripped down it. He panted heavily as he slowly moved to sit on the side of the bed. He looked up to Byleth, who was undisturbed by his outburst. N chuckled to himself. Her ability to sleep through almost everything remained intact.

Zorua nudged the side of his arm, trying to poke his head through. N raised his arm and let the fox move to his lap. However, instead of curling up in it, the fox sat down and stared at him. N half smiled and pet the fox.

"It was so vivid this time."

The fox titled its head, unsure of what he meant.

"Hydreigon."

The mention of the black dragon caused Zorua to snarl and turn towards the door. N appreciated that Zorua was so willing to protect him.

"It won't come. It was only a dream," N said.

The fox took one last look at the door before turning back to its partner. It then curled up next to N and began to sleep again. He put his hand on the fox, with another on his face. The nightmare that plagued him was happening with increasing frequency. No matter how far he go from Ghetsis, his ghost would always haunt him. He took a moment to collect himself before trying to go back to sleep. But every time he closed his eyes, he could hear the low growl of Hydreigon.

**AN: Here ends this chapter. This chapter started out kinda fun, then became depressing. It was not my intention, but as I wrote I found myself writing what I did. Here we get a view of the dream N was talking about. Originally I was going to have say a bit here in there in conversation, but I decided to just tell it outright. I decided to change things up about N's childhood a bit, make Ghetsis abusive from the start. Not something N realizes later. Anthea and Concordia will also become important characters in this story, but no spoilers on what they'll do. I also decided to give N a crest. I haven't decided on the name of it yet, but what it symbolizes is something important. I'll go more into it as the story goes.**

**This chapter also introduces Colress. I'm positive that the scientist I mentioned in the last chapter everyone could guess was Colress. He'll have a similar role in the games, but I'll be changing him a bit. I hope you look forward to what I do with.**

**In the last chapter I got a guest review asking if I'll be adding more characters form the Pokemon games. The answer to that is I had never thought about it. However, with this chapter, I put in a character form the games. As of now, I don't know if I'll add more Pokemon characters, but its is possible if they fit into what I have planned. **

**I do have a question for all of you. The first chapters had the partner Pokemon's gender stated. I kind of forgot to keep that trend going. Should I bring that back, or keep the Pokemon genderless? **

**With all that out of the way, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next one. If you're enjoying this story, then feel free to follow, favorite, and/or review. Also, follow me on Twitter. I post story updates and other stuff there as well.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Genedered Pokemon return in this chapter as a heads up. Enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 7

Confrontation

N did not manage fall asleep again after his nightmare, something Byleth was awake for. She knew N was plagued by nightmares, but this was the first time she actually experienced him being awoken by one. At first, she did not think much of it, as may people had nightmares, but when N began to speak to Zorua about it, she began to worry. N never spoke to her about his nightmares. This was the first time she had heard anything about them. The mention of the creature known as Hydreigon sent a shiver down her spine for some reason. The way N had said it caused for a chill to settle in the room.

When N tried to go back to sleep, she could hear him tossing and turning. It got to a point where he gave up and quietly exited the room, likely trying to not disturb her. She could not help but smile thinking that he was looking out for her.

_Something must be disturbing him_, a voice said.

Whatever sleepiness that remained in her left as soon as she heard that voice. Byleth looked around the room, trying to figure out where that voice came from.

_Have you really forgotten about me already? _

If someone was talking to her, she was positive that it would be crossing her arms. However, the voice did sound familiar. It sounded like the green-haired girl that sat on a throne, Sothis.

_You're right. I'm pleased you didn't entirely forget._

"This is going to take some getting used to," Byleth muttered to herself.

_Next time don't forget we share a body and thoughts._

Byleth rolled her eyes and sighed. "Were you talking about N before?"

_Indeed I was. He's an interesting human. He has the heart of a creature and the mind of a human._

"He says he can talk to the creatures. Hear their thoughts," Byleth said.

_And you believe him? _

Byelth shrugged. "He hasn't given me a reason not to."

_Interesting. Most would dismiss that and call him crazy._

_"_Most do. He's used to it," Byleth replied, releasing another sigh.

_Are you worried for him?_

Byleth nodded. "Of course. This is the first time I've ever heard him talk about his past. I wonder why Hydreigon is the source of his nightmares."

_Perhaps you should ask him. _Sothis yawned as she finished her words. _I'm going to return to sleeping. You should do that same._

Just like that the voice in her head was gone. It took a moment for it to dawn on her that she had spoken to herself. She looked down to her Eevee. The fluffy creature continued to sleep peacefully. She then thought on what Sothis had said about asking him. Whenever he thought about his past, N would space out and not end up talking about it.

Byleth relented and tried to go back to sleep. However, the worry within her began to grow. Despite not showing it often, she cared a lot about N. They grew up together. Seeing him suffering from something he would not talk about concerned her.

It took some time, but Byleth had managed to fall asleep again. However, she tried to stay awake for when N came back.

When Byelth woke up that morning, she saw already ready for the day. He smiled warmly to her as she slowly sat up on the bed.

"I can wait a bit if you want to get breakfast together," N said as he strapped his sword to his belt.

Despite his lack of sleep, Byleth was surprised to him so full of energy. At first she thought that maybe she was worrying too much. But when she saw the bags under his eyes her concern returned. She could also make out the distant look in his eyes, despite her sitting right in front of him.

Her thoughts then returned to what he had said. "Sure. Just give me a minute to get ready."

N's smile widened. "Great. I'll wait outside."

N then called for Zorua, who perched himself on N's shoulder, and exited the room.

Byleth let out a breath. Despite acting like his usual self, she knew that something was bothering N. He was the last person to fake a smile, and the first he had given her was just that.

Byleth quickly put on her usual attire and briefly attempted to control her bedhead. She took a look in the mirror and wondered if she should ask N how he manages to control his long hair. When her hair was a neat as possible, she called to her Eevee, who walked beside her, and exited the room.

When she exited the room, N rested on the wall next to the door. His eyes were closed and his breathing was steady. Byelth wondered if he had fallen asleep, but when she closed the door his eyes shot open. He turned her way and smiled.

"Let's get some breakfast."

The two began to walk towards the dinning hall. They said good morning to passerby's and quietly laughed at the wild Yamper, Lillipup, Meowth, and Purrloin that wandered about. Just like their usual walks, they did not talk much. N respected that Byelth was not one to begin conversations and Byleth knew N did not like talking about his past. However, Byleth had to ask about what happened during the night.

"Hey, N, did you sleep well last night?"

Byleth breaking the silence had taken N by surprise. He looked towards her first, but found her gaze firmly fixed forwards. He looked towards Zorua who was just as surprised as him.

Byelth, however, spared a glance towards the green-haired teen when he was looking at Zorua. She saw him put a hand behind his neck before letting out a sigh.

"I've slept better. It's nothing you need to worry about though. If I woke you up, I'm sorry," N said.

"Are you sure?"

N laughed nervously. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. It's nothing I'm not used to."

"I may not be the best talker, but you can always talk to me," Byelth said. "It's like you always say to me."

"I appreciate that," N replied adding a strained smile.

When the two arrived to the dinning hall, they were greeted by the sounds of students mingling and the shifting of plates. It was a familiar sound in the dinning hall, but it never seemed to escape the room. The two new professors grabbed their breakfast and found seats across from each other.

The two continued to talk. They each spoke about what lessons they had planned for the students. While Byelth added that she was summoned by Rhea before her class was to begin. She could see as N began to wonder what it could entail. She could always tell when was thinking. His brows would come closer and his gaze would harden a bit. There were times when he could have that very expression for a whole day.

"Can I ask you a question?" Byleth asked.

"Sure. You can always ask me anything," N said.

She could see his expression soften a bit, but he straightened his posture. It was a reflex he did whenever he did not want to answer a certain question. It was his was of telling her he did not want to talk about his nightmare.

"You said a name last night, Hydreigon. I'm assuming it's a creature. Is it strong?"

N's posture straightened even more. Despite her trying to avoid directly asking about his nightmare, she still asked something that made him uncomfortable. Byleth also caught Zorua's growling. She looked towards the fox and saw it growling towards one of the doors. She then noticed how N's breathing had quickened. She was about to change the subject, when she heard the sound of a throat clearing.

"I would think so."

The two professors turned to where the voice came from and saw Linhardt trying to stay awake. Across from him was Caspar, eating away at his breakfast.

"I haven't seen too many, but in Adrestia, there's someone whose partner is a Hydreigon. Most in the capital say he's incredibly strong and expertly commands a Hydreigon," Linhardt said.

"Yeah. My father tried to take him on with his Conkeldurr, but he was beaten. My father even had the advantage. I want to take him on one day," Caspar added.

Byleth turned to N, who relaxed a bit, but was still tense.

"That's impressive. Not many can do that. This man and his Hydreigon must have a strong bond," N said.

"I saw the battle. It was pretty awesome," Caspar said. "I doubt even you could beat him, Professor."

Byleth knew that Caspar meant what he said with a good nature, but it caused for N to look even more distant. He stared at his food as if he had lost his appetite.

"It's been fun talking, but I should get to the training ground and prepare," N said as he began to stand. "Don't be late for class, Capar, Linhardt."

"I won't!"

"I'll get back to you on that," Linhardt said as he fell asleep.

N then quickly stood up and exited the dinning hall. Byleth's worry only grew. It was obvious that what the two students had said caused for N to remember some painful memories.

—

The meeting with Rhea was nothing special. It was an explanation of missions Byleth's class would have to accomplish at the end of the month. Seteth was the one to give the explanation with his usual prickly tone. The mission they had been assigned was to defeat some bandits that had been causing mischief near the monastery. Byleth assumed it was the same bandit group she had encountered when the mercenary band met the three lords. She had heard from some of the knights they had been found.

When Rhea and Seteth left, Byleth was going to leave too before she was stopped by Sothis talking to her again. She was caught off guard again when the voice of the girl was suddenly all she could hear. Sothis added her own input to what Rhea and Seteth had said, while chastising her for still being surprised by her voice.

Byleth then exited the audience chamber and walked towards her classroom. As she walked past the battle ground, she stopped and looked towards it. She wondered if N still had the distant expression on his face. She let out a sigh and continued walking towards the classroom. Before entering, she took a moment to collect her thoughts. She still had a class to teach even if she was worried about N.

"Let's get started everyone."

—

"Is everything alright, Professor?"

Byleth looked up to see Dimitri standing in front of her desk, his Shinx trotted at his side. She had forgotten that she was still in the classroom even though class had concluded for that let out a sigh and slowly began to stand up.

"I'm fine. Nothing you need to worry about," Byleth replied.

"Are you sure? You looked a bit distracted."

Byleth stopped moving and looked towards the blonde. He had a concerned look on his face. It was similar to the one N would put on when they were kids.

"It's nothing, I promise."

She then felt something bumping her leg. Byleth looked down to see Eevee lightly headbutting her leg. When Dimitri saw it, he chuckled lightly.

"It seems Eevee doesn't agree with you."

Byleth let out a defeated sigh. She was surprised to see Eevee acting in such a way. N had always told her that the creatures could sense when their partner was in some kind of emotional turmoil.

Byleth knelt down and pet the furry creature. Eevee's head moved into Byleth's hand, excited for the show of affection.

"It's N. He's been gloomy all day," Byleth said.

Dimitri placed a hand on his chin in a pensive state. "He did seem a bit distant when I talked to him earlier."

"He had a nightmare about his past, but refuses to talk about it. He's never been one to openly talk about it, but this time I'm worried," Byleth said.

Dimitri nodded. "I understand. We can both go talk to him."

"Both?" Byleth asked raising an eyebrow.

Dimitri's face warped to one of embarrassment. "I'm sorry. Was that presumptuous of me?"

Byleth tried to hold it in, but she began to laugh. Her laughing caught Dimitri by surprise. However, seeing her laugh made his face go beet red, but he managed to control his emotions when Byleth had settled down.

"It's fine. I was just surprised. Seeing your reaction was funny though."

Dimitri placed a hand behind his neck nervously. "It was nice to see you laugh. It's the first time I've seen you even come close to a smile."

Byleth stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. The blonde's posture straightened and the red was returning to his cheeks.

"Let's go talk to him together. I'm sure it'll help," Byleth said as she removed her hand form his shoulder. "Let's go, Eevee."

The furry creature yipped in excitement as it hopped onto Byelth shoulder. The two exited the classroom and began to walk towards the battle ground.

The two walked in relative silence. Dimitri was still too embarrassed from their previous exchange to say anything. While not talking was normal for Byleth.

"Can I ask you something?" Byleth asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh, um, sure," Dimitri replied.

"Was it weird seeing me laugh?"

Dimitri had to turn away as his face began to heat up again. The question was not helping him quell his embarrassment. To took in a deep breath and released it in order to calm himself down.

"It wasn't. It was refreshing to see you laugh. For the little I've known you, you rarely smile," Dimitri said.

"Thanks. N is the one who usually gets me to laugh or smile. He's even taught me how to tell jokes," Byleth replied.

Dimitri put a hand behind his neck nervously. "I'm not the best when it comes to jokes."

"That's fine. N's aren't that great either. Just don't tell him I said that."

"Professor N means a lot to you I take it," Dimitri said.

Byleth nodded. "He's helped me in many ways. I just wish I could return the favor."

Dimitri noticed how sullen her voice got. He was about to apologize for making her sad, but then a thought crossed his mind. He had not thought of it at first, but seeing as how close the two former mercenaries were it was possible.

_Does she love him?_

The thought caused for him to jerk his head. He wanted to banish the thought. But there still was the possibility. However, he did not want to assume their relationship.

When the two reached the battle ground, they were surprised to see that N was not there. The battle ground was still adorned with targets and other things. The two walked around the battle ground trying to fine the teenaged professor, but there was no trace of him.

"I could've sworn he would be here," Dimitri said.

"We can check our room. Though he's usually here until late," Byleth replied.

"If you're looking for Professor N, he's at the training hall," a voice said.

The two turned to see Edelgard standing at the entrance of the battle ground.

"Are you sure?" Dimitri asked.

Edelgard nodded. "I was just there with him. He said he wanted to train against Professor Jeritza."

"Sword training?" Byleth said putting a hand on her chin.

The two students looked towards the new professor. Dimitri was quick to notice the concern on her face. Edelgard noticed too, but had a more subdued reaction.

"Is everything alright?" Dimitri asked.

"He's trying really hard to distract himself," Byleth replied.

When Byleth finished her sentence, she began to walk towards the exit. Dimitri was quick to follow her, but Edelgard hesitated. She had noticed how distant N had been and part of her was worried. She took a step to follow them, but quickly retracted it. There was something she needed to do. She turned on her heel to leave, but hesitated again. She took in a breath to collect herself and focus on what she needed to do.

When the two arrived to the training ground, they found N and Jeritza in the middle of the sparring match. The initial surprise faded within Byleth as soon as she saw N's face. He was focused in his spar. Even their spars when they were mercenaries he never looked so determined. At first she thought he had grown past his nightmare, but she knew he was sparring to keep himself distracted.

However, she had to give N credit. He was putting up a good fight against the monastery's sword master. She did not know if Jeritza was holding back or if N had gotten that much better, but she was impressed by his swordplay.

"I knew he was good at the sword, but I never imagined he was this good," Dimitri said.

The only response she could give was a nod. The spar ended when Jeritza disarmed N. The wooden sword flew in the air when Jeritza landed his final hit. When the sword landed on the ground, N sat on the ground and began to pant. Byleth wondered how many times the two had fought.

"I think that was your best showing," Jeritza said as he held out a hand.

N chuckled as he grabbed it. The sword master pulled him up with ease. "Thanks."

"Looks like we have guests," Jeritza said gesturing to his side.

N looked to where Jeritza gestured and saw Dimitri and Byleth. The teenaged professor was surprised to see them, but quickly put on a smile and waved to them. He gestured for them to come over.

As the two walked over to him, his Zorua trotted towards Byleth. She cracked a smile and knelt down to pet the black fox.

"I'm impressed you managed hold off Professor Jeritza for so long. Even Felix has trouble sparring against him," Dimitri complimented.

"Thanks, but he was going easy on me," N said with an embarrassed chuckle. "Isn't that right?"

Jeritza looked over his shoulder when he was addressed by him. "In that last one I almost took it seriously."

N groaned as Dimitri could barely stifle his laugh. Though, Byleth could swear she heard Jeritza chuckle before turning back to his Scizor.

"What brings you two here?" N asked.

"We were looking for you actually," Dimitri said.

N pointed at himself. "Me? What's up?"

"Actually, it was Professor Byleth who wanted to find you," Dimitri clarified.

"Oh," N said turning to Byleth, "what's up?"

However, Byleth was silent. For N that was normal, but the look on her face told him she wanted to say something. She then turned and grabbed the wooden sword N was using and tossed it to him. N fumbled as he tried to grabbed it. Byleth moved towards the rack of other practice blades and grabbed one.

"Let's do spar like we used to," Byleth said, her voice monotone.

It was something that N was used to, but it caught Dimitri by surprise. N nodded in response and got into his stance, while Byleth moved to stand across from him.

"You do know I've beaten you a few times," N said.

"I know," Byleth replied.

Shen then charged towards N, which caught him by surprise. He was quick to recover and managed to parry her strike. Byleth continued on the offensive as N blocked or dodged her strikes. It was obvious to him that she was intent on winning. However, her strikes were not as precise as they used to be.

N then found his opening and attacked. This time he was on the offensive and managed to get Byleth to take a few steps back. His advantage did not last long, as Byleth quickly overpowered him.

"Your distracted. More so than usual," Byleth said as their blades locked.

"What makes you say that?"

"Normally your offense lasts longer."

The two broke their blade lock and jumped backwards. When they landed, they began to circle each other.

"You're never this chatty when we spar. What's got you so worked up?" N asked as he spun his blade.

"Maybe you should start by telling me what's go you so worked up you can't sleep."

Byleth saw the flash of frustration that crossed N's face. Then he charged towards her, raising his sword up. He brought it down for a strike, but Byleth easily parried it.

"What's so significant about Hydreigon?" Byleth asked.

N responded by launching another flurry of strikes, all of which Byleth easily blocked. She could tell he was getting worked up. N was not one to attack without a plan.

"Tell me. I want to know."

"No, you don't," N replied.

He moved for another strike, but with one quick movement Byleth parried the strike and knocked the blade out of his hands. N moved to pick it up, but Byleth put her sword to his neck, signaling his defeat.

"Please, N. I want yo help you," Byleth said.

N grunted and pushed the wooden blade away from his neck. He stood up and began to walk away, not wanting to respond to Byleth. He called for Zorua, but the fox was hesitant to follow.

"Even Zorua is worried about you. A lot of people are worried," Byleth said.

N's hands formed into fists. She knew N did not want to talk about it, but she had to try something. She had never seen him so pained before. In all their time together as mercenaries, he always looked cheerful.

"Professor, I know talking about the past can be harmful. But sometimes it is better to speak about it," Dimitri said.

N took in a breath and released it. The tension in his body seemed to slowly leave him as his hands straightened out.

"I don't talk about it because I'm afraid. Afraid that if I do, I'll just end up in their hands again," N said.

Byleth was not beginning to understand. Even with the little she was just told, she felt that she could now better understand N's trauma. When they first met, it was difficult for him to talk to anyone in the band out of fear. Her father could barely get a conversation going with him. It took time for him to open up to everyone in the band, just like how it will take time for him talk about his past.

"Since arriving here, I feel like they're always hiding close by. That he knows where I am."

"Who's 'he'?" Byleth asked.

N turned his head, but quickly turned back. "Sorry. That's not something I'm ready to talk about yet."

N then exited the training ground. Leaving Byleth with her thoughts. She barely registered when Dimitri spoke to her, but she did mentally agree that some weight was lifted. Despite forcing something out of him, Byleth was confident that he would open up a bit more about what bothered him. The one question that remained was the 'he' N mentioned. It was likely that whoever that person was, was who caused for N to be so closed off.

—-

"What is this nonesense?! All I was told was to kill as many noble pipsqueaks as possible! No one said anything about the Knights of damned Seiros being on our trail!"

The Flame Emperor was not on a mood to listen to Kostas's blabbering. They had assigned a simple task to him and he failed spectacularly. However, there was still a lot to be learned from that encounter. Some both they and their benefactor would be pleased with.

"You have proven yourself worthless. Distracted by something so trivial. I had hoped you would not fail even with the distraction. But now the daughter of the knights' former captain is in play. How interesting. There's also that other person."

The Flame Emperor mused about both of the new players. The former captain was not their concern, but who he had with him piqued their curiosity.

"Hey! This isn't what I agreed to!" Kostas argued.

However, the Flame Emperor ignored his words, and mused more about the two mercenaries. "Hiring two mercenaries as professors. What was the woman thinking…"

"Are you even listening?!" Kostas stomped his foot in annoyance. "How do we finish this?!"

The Flamer Emperor looked up, annoyed to be broken from their thoughts. If Kostas could see through their mask, he would see their displeased look.

"You die."

"Y-You think you can just threaten me like that?!"

"Underestimating the knights was an amateur mistake. One that you will pay dearly for. The road to eternal torment awaits you all. Now I must locate your replacements…"

Kostas was not even more frustrated. He was being tossed aside and he hated that. However, he did notice that the Flame Emperor did not have their partner at their side. A cocky grin formed on his face.

"Not so tough without your partner. Machoke, get 'im!"

The humanoid reptile charged towards the armor clad person. However, they made no attempt to dodge. Kostas grin widened. He was going get his way in one form or another.

Then a shadow enveloped everyone present. Kostas looked up and his face pale. Machoke stopped his advance and also looked up. A dark mass lowered down towards them. It appeared to be avian as its feathered wings were obvious. The Flame Emperor did not react, but beneath the mask, they were smiling.

The giant bird then landed and let out a loud roar. Its dark, armor-like feathers flowing with the wind. Its red eyes seemed to pierce through both Machoke and Kostas.

"What was that about not being tough? I'll blow you away," The Flame Emperor said confidently.

Machoke took a step back while Kostas tried to regain his composure.

"Damn you!" He growled. "Machoke, Brick Break!"

Machoke followed his masters orders and charged at the bird. The Flame Emepror merely scoffed.

"It appears the fool needs a lesson. Corviknight, Drill Peck."

Corviknight roared and few into battle. Machoke's attack was unable to connect, as Corviknight's beak slammed into the muscled creature. The creature flew back and crashed into Kostas, causing the man to fall to the ground.

"Now you understand the difference in our power," The Flame Emperor said as Corviknight landed next to them.

They then turned away from the bandit leader and did not give him a second thought. They climbed onto the bird's back and took flight. Without the distraction of Kostas, they returned to their musing. While the daughter was an outlier in their plans, the one that really made things difficult was the other one. He was the person that their benefactor was looking for.

Their thoughts then shifted to the letter they had received. Their benefactor had finally located the asset was on his way to obtain it. It meant that their plans were now in motion. After years of waiting it could begin.

However, they had to inform the benefactor of the complication that was the two mercenary professors. He would also need to be informed of the identity of one of them.

"Corviknight."

Corviknight's eyes moved to gaze at his partner.

"When you depart, I need you deliver this message to Lord Ghetsis: N has been found."

Corviknight grunted in response. Despite not being able to fully understand the armored bird, the Flame Emperor knew what he had said.

"I'm sure I can trust you to do this. Very soon will your strength be unleashed in a true battle," The Flame Emperor said.

—-

Byleth paced in her room. N had had yet to return to their room and it was getting very late. While he was one to return late, after everything that had happened between them she wondered if he was trying to avoid her. She had admitted to him that she was not the best at talking, but she always wanted for him to know that she would listen to him.

Eevee meanwhile, watched as she paced. The furry creature was more curious than concerned. Whenever Byleth glanced towards her, she would tilt her head to the side. Seeing her partner act cute helped calm her down, but her worry would still remain.

_Just pacing like that isn't going to help you know._

Byleth stopped her pacing a looked up. A light groan escaped her as she recognized who was speaking.

"I'm worried, okay," Byleth replied.

_You're pacing so much that you woke me up. I can sense your unease clearly, _Sothis said. Adding a yawn at the end of her words.

Byleth rolled her eyes. She glanced towards Eevee, who tilted her head in confusion. She then began to scan around the room to see who her partner was talking to. Byleth groaned again.

"Now Eevee thinks I'm crazy."

_Maybe if you didn't voice your responses out loud, then you would not think that. We share a mind after all, _Sothis argued.

"I guess that's true," Byleth said with a shrug.

Before Sothis could respond, the door to the room opened. N walked in with Zorua trotting at his side. The black fox yipped in excitement at seeing Byleth and quickly jumped onto N's bed.

_Now you decide to be silent, _Byleth jabbed.

However, there was no response from the voice in her head. She then turned to N, who was taking off his teaching attire for more casual clothes. She did not register if he had greeted him or not. She glanced towards his face and noticed how the distant expression he had was no longer there. A wave of relief washed over her and she found herself sighing. The sound had caught N's attention and he looked up. He half smiled as Byleth realized he had heard her.

"What's with the sigh?" N asked with a chuckle.

"It's nothing. You just seem a bit more relaxed compared to this morning."

N turned to the floor, but his smile remained. This time Byleth knew it was not a forced one. That made her happy. Seeing her friend actually smiling meant he was in a better mood.

"You could say that. I thought about what you said," N looked up to face her, "slowly but surely I'll try to talk more about my past. I can't let fear control me."

He then stood up and wrapped his arms around her. Byleth was momentarily confused by the gesture, but found herself wrapping her arms around him. There was a warmth to it, one that was different from what she was used to. They would always just high five or something similar to express gratitude towards each other. A hug was uncommon. The only time they had done it was when Byleth had first spoken to N. He wrapped her arms around her tightly and her cried a bit.

When the two separated, she could see the happy expression on his face. Byleth wondered what made him so happy.

"I told Edelgard that you help me keep me grounded at times. Right now is one of those times. You help me forget the bad memories," N said.

Byleth smiled and nodded. "I'm only trying to repay the kindness you've shown me."

N chuckled. "You never had to."

Meanwhile, their partners looked at each other and yipped happily. The two had felt how much their partners were hurting and tried, in their own way, to help. Zorua yipped and jumped on N's bed. While Eevee let out a pleased yawn and prepared to go to sleep.

When the two creatures had fallen asleep, their partners laughed at their exchange.

"Even Eevee and Zorua were worried about us," N said.

"I think sometimes they know more than we do," Byleth added.

Zorua snickered again before spinning around on N's bed to get comfortable. Soon, he too was fast asleep.

"We should get some sleep too. It's going to be another long day tomorrow."

**AN: With that this chapter ends. First I want to apologize for the briefness of this chapter. However, I hope to enlarge these chapters going forwards. The idea for this chapter was to have a direct continuation from the last one. I wanted to showcase the relationship between N and Byleth a bit more and how they rely on each other (plus having a bit of romantic hijinks). I know Pokemon hasn't been a big focus, but I got some plans to incorporate them more. With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next one! If you're enjoying feel free to follow, favorite, and/or review. Follow me on Twitter to get updates on stories and other stuff.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The First Mission

"Shinx, Spark!"

"Growlithe, Flame Wheel!"

N watched as the two attacks collided, causing for a shower of sparks and embers. He watched as Dimitri and Slyvain commanded their creatures and their response to them. It became clear that both creatures trusted their partners and that pleased him. He knew there was always ways to further strengthen those bonds, but what he was seeing right now made him feel comfortable.

As for his lesson, he had begun to go into greater detail about attacks. Using the lessons on types he branched out into the lessons on attacks. He wanted the students to understand both how the type of attack is related to the type of the creature and their effects. He had also gone into a bit of detail about the classification of attacks, but he wanted to save that part of the lesson for when he discussed something else.

When he was satisfied with how the battle was turning out, he called for all the Blue Pyroar students to gather in the center of the arena.

"Now then, does everyone understand about how the type of the attack affects how much damage you're dealing?"

He looked at each of the students, while their expressions told him they understood, he still wanted someone to speak. A small smile came to his face when Ashe raised his hand.

"It's if the attack matches the type, then the damage dealt will be higher, correct?"

N nodded. "Exactly. The increased damage is not much, but it can be a great asset when fighting against an opponent in which you do not have the advantage. It's the reason I chose the partners this time."

"Does that mean weaker attacks will still deal more damage than usual?" Annette asked.

"That's where secondary effects come in. For example, my Zorua's attacks, all have a secondary effect. Who can remember them?" N asked.

Ingrind's hand went up. "Dark Pulse can cause flinching, Snarl makes certain types of attacks weaker, and Fury Swipes deals multiple hits."

"Correct. Most attacks have a secondary effect. Be it something noticeable during battle or something else."

"I have a question, Professor. What exactly is Snarl's secondary effect? You've always been vague about it," Dimitri asked.

"I'll cover that in the next lesson. Mainly because I'll be going over the specifics about moves. However, it does help to get the ball rolling. Listen carefully. This is the basis for our next lesson."

N took a moment to make sure everyone was paying attention. Some were eager to learn, like Annette and Ashe. Others did not make it obvious, like Dedue and Slyvain. And despite being so aloof, he knew Felix was still listenting.

"Moves are divided into three categories." N held up three fingers. "Physical attacks, ranged attacks, and status moves."

"Status moves?" Everyone asked in unison.

N nodded. "A quick example of a status move is Zorua's Double Team."

"I take it it's an attack that doesn't deal damage?" Mercedes asked.

"Exactly. For some, those moves may seem useless, but they can make a battle a lot easier to manage. Especially if your opponent might be stronger than you," N explained.

Before he could continue, the church bells began to ring, signaling the end of his class. He could hear a disappointed sigh escape some of the students. He chuckled at hearing that. It made him happy that his students were invested in what he was teaching.

"Looks like our time is up. You're free to leave. I'll still be here if you want to ask questions later," N said.

"Thanks, Professor," they all said in unison.

"Take care everyone."

As the students began to leave, N turned to begin cleaning up the arena. That battles caused for quite a bit of damage to it. He laughed to himself as he grabbed the broom, but before he could begin the sound of someone clearing their throat caught his attention. He looked up to see that Dimitri was still in the arena.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What's up, Dimitri?" N asked asked as he set down the broom.

"I just wanted to thank you personally for everything you've taught us so far. It always surprises me as to how much you know," Dimitri replied.

"No need for that. I'm just happy you're all enjoying learning from me."

"Of course. I know you've told me that before," Dimtiri said as he put a hand behind his neck. "I'm sure I'll be able to put everyone you've taught me to use during our mission."

N rose an eyebrow. He had heard that the students would undertake a mission of some sort at the end of each month. But since that fell under the responsibilities of the professor's of the houses he had never gotten the details.

"So you've got a mission coming up? Must be nerve wracking to have such a big assignment always looming," N said as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"It can be, but it should be too hard. I believe our mission is to defeat a group of bandits."

N placed a hand on his chin. "Bandits, huh?"

N wondered if it was the same bandit group that had attacked them. He had overheard from a group of Church knights that they had been spotted recently. He could only guess if that was their assignment. Which meant they were being sent to kill them most likely.

"Is everything alright, Professor?"

N looked up as he was broken from his thoughts. "Would you mind if I joined you on the mission? Can't hurt having a bit more help."

"I don't see why not. Though I think you'd better ask Professor Byleth. Possibly Lady Rhea as well."

"That's true," N said. "You're heading back to you classroom, right?"

Dimitri nodded as a response.

"Mind if I tag along? I should ask if Byleth is okay with it."

Dimitri nodded again. "I'm sure she wouldn't have a problem with it."

"Great. Let's get going then."

N called to Zorua, who jumped and perched himself on his shoulder. The two then followed Dimitri out of the arena and towards the Blue Pyroars classroom. On their walk, N mused about what Dimitri had told him about the mission. He still did not know everything about the missions, but he had a feeling that his bandit theory was correct.

—

"You want to join the students on their mission?"

N was expecting Seteth to question his request, but to have a disgusted look on his face was not. It was as if he was directly dishonoring him by asking it. N fought the urge to roll his eyes; being elbowed by Byleth also helped.

When N had asked Byleth about joining her and her class on their mission, she was pretty quick to say yes. It was likely that having him a long would make things a bit easier in terms of executing the mission. There was also the possibility that it would bring back memories of their time working together in the band.

N pushed those thoughts aside and focused on what was in front of him. Seteth still had his displeased look, while Rhea had been quiet since he arrived to the audience chamber. She simply smiled and kept her gazed focused on the two young professors.

"Yes. It would just be this one time. If the bandits they're going to fight are the same ones we encountered, then I have a reason to go," N explained again.

Seteth crossed his arms and let out a frustrated breath. "It's a personal reason as to why you want to be involved."

N nodded. "It is. But there is nothing that prohibits me from actually taking part. I thought it was the right thing to do to ask for permission."

Before Seteth could respond, Rhea raised he hand silencing him. With a simple gesture Seteth had straitened his posture and all his attention was on the Archbishop. She lowered her hand, but her gaze was still fixed on N and Byleth

"I understand what you say, N. However, I do agree with Seteth. This is not something that is done often," Rhea said.

A pleased smile crept onto Seteth's face. He was about to say something, when Rhea raised her hand again to silence him.

"Despite that, I am aware that what you're proposing isn't something that can't be done."

Seteth's mouth dropped open in surprise as he turned to Rhea. "You're not thinking of actually granting his request?"

"I am, and I will grant it. Having another professor there should guarantee that the students remain safe. In addition, they were both trained by Jeralt. I'm sure they are more than capable," Rhea answered.

Seteth let out a frustrated sigh, but relented. His shoulders sagged a bit as he released his breath.

"I trust that with the both of you there the students won't return beaten and battered?" Rhea asked.

The two professors nodded.

"They won't. Though there will likely be a scuffle," N said.

Rhea let out a small chuckle. "I would be surprised if there wasn't one."

"Very well. You best prepare yourself for the mission," Seteth said.

N nodded and turned on his heel. Byleth followed close behind. She elbowed him to get his attention. When he turned she gave a small smile. N chuckled and lightly punched Byleth's arm.

"I knew they'd come around," N said.

"I thought Seteth would outright deny you and it would've ended there," Byleth replied.

"For a second there, I thought that would happen."

The two friends laughed. N louder than Byleth, but N was just happy that Byleth was laughing a bit more often.

"Come on, we should prepare," Byleth said.

"Lead the way."

—

The next morning, N was up early. He had not anticipated that the mission was the day after he found out about it. It was only when Byleth had told him that the house had a mission at the end of every month. It had also never occurred to him that the month was ending. He made a mental note to keep better track of time.

Before he exited his room, he made sure that he had everything he needed. He was wearing his usual armor, a simple metal chest plate, armored boots, and armor on his upper arm. He tugged on his gloves just to make sure they were still on; it also helped calm his nerves. He strapped his sword to his belt and swung his bag of medicinal herbs and other items he would need to treat wounds. Mentally he hoped to never have to use them.

"I think that's everything," N said to himself.

Zorua let out a satisfied yip.

Before he could exit, there was a knock on the door. N opened the door and Byleth was standing there, Eevee perched on her shoulder. She took a step back and let him and Zorua exit.

"I'm surprised you're up early. Normally I'm awake up before you," N teased as he closed the door.

Byleth rolled her eyes. "Well, we have to be out of here by midmorning."

"I'm assuming you're all waiting for me?" N asked.

Byleth nodded. "Yup. Let's get going, we have to meet up with the students. We'll have breakfast as we walk. Where the bandits are hiding isn't far. Hopefully we'll have this done before sunset."

N nodded in response. "Hopefully."

Their walk led them to where the students were waiting, which was the main entrance to the monastery. It was also where the market was located. Several different vendors were beginning to open up for business. Most of the students were either perusing the weapons or stocking up on necessary items for battle.

N glanced towards the weapons shop and absentmindedly placed his hand on his sword's grip. It had been some time since he had gotten a new sword.

_Maybe I should buy a new one soon, _N mused.

He was broken from his thoughts when he heard Byleth call out to her students. Everyone was quick to gather, which surprised N. Even during the days of traveling as a band, they were never very quick to assemble.

"Is everyone ready?"

"Yes!" Everyone replied in unison.

"Great. As I'm sure you've guessed, N will be joining us," Byleth said.

N nodded and took a step forward. "Let's all work together to get this done quickly."

Another chorus of 'yes' followed his words. This was the first time he had experienced the students act like a group of soldiers. The thought did not sit right with him, but he could not say anything about it since he had been fighting for his whole life.

He pushed the thought aside as the group exited from the market and onto the open road. He made sure he was entirely focused on the mission ahead. He had expected to walk the whole way towards the location of the bandits, but the Church knights provided them rideable creatures for the trek. While he was not opposed to walking the whole way, he appreciated the use of a faster transportation method.

As they rode toward their destination, N observed their surroundings. Though, there was not much to look at. However, the sighting of wild Geodude, Ryhorn, Nidoran, and other creatures helped liven things up.

"Are the rocks really all that interesting?" a soft voice asked.

N turned to where the voice came from and saw Mercedes riding next to him. Her Happiny sitting in front of her smiled towards N.

N chuckled and turned his attention forwards. "Not really. Though I met someone on my travels who was really into them."

"They must've been strange."

N laughed again. "He sure was. Anyways, you doing alright? Being your first mission and all that."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. The thought of going out and inflicting harm on other people doesn't sit right with me," Mercedes answered, her tone going a bit somber.

"I get what you mean. I'm not that big a fan of fighting either, but sometimes we're given no other choice," N replied.

Mercendes nodded in understanding. "It's just the world we live in, isn't it?"

"Unfortunately. But enough about this sad topic, there's something I wanted to ask you. I take it you've had Happiny for awhile now. Why hasn't changed into a Chansey yet?"

"Not too sure. Though, I wouldn't mind if she stayed as a Happiny," Mercendes said with a smile coming to her face.

Happiny replied with a happy chirp, which caused both N and Mercedes to laugh.

"I understand. Though her potential would improve, especially her healing capabilities. As would yours I'd say."

"That's true." Mercedes looked towards Happiny, who looked up at her with a curious gaze. "Might I ask you something, Professor?"

N nodded. "Ask away."

"You're a healer too, right?"

N nodded again. "Became one when I realized I wouldn't be as good as Byleth with a sword."

"But you also know about treating the injuries of the creatures. How did you learn that?"

N shrugged and looked towards the sky. He wanted to collect his thoughts before answering, but he knew the answer right away.

"Mostly self taught. Whenever Zorua, Eevee, or Jerlat's Mudsdale would get sick or injured I would treat them. That's how I learned what works on them."

Zorua yipped in response.

"Yes, you helped too, Zorua," N said with a chuckle. Mercedes giggled as well.

"I see."

"If you want to learn how to do it, I can teach you. I was planning on making that a lesson anyway," N said.

"I would like that."

N nodded in response and smiled. The two continued to chat as they trekked. Solidifying their bond as teach and student and friends.

—-

By midmorning they had reach their destination: the Red Canyon. The group got off their mounts and continued on foot. The morning fog was slowly stating to dissipate around them, allowing to see more clearly.

Then they came upon a set of ruins. Stone steps led to an elevated portion of the canyon. Not too far, the group could hear the commotion between people. Ashe volunteered to scout ahead and before anyone could join him he was already out of earshot. When he returned, the grey haired student confirmed that a group of bandits had set up camp in a deeper part of the ruins.

The plan was simple, take them by surprise in order to defeat them quickly. Once everyone steeled themselves, the group moved into the ruins. They used fallen pillars and boulders in order to keep themselves hidden.

N peeked from his spot and counted about twenty bandits in total. He could not see the leader, but he could hear him. It definitely was the same bandit group as the one from last time.

As they inched closer, loose piece of rock caught the attention of several of the bandits. N hoped they would not be noticed, as the bandits were already on edge, but his hopes were quickly squashed.

"It's those knights!"

Soon after every bandit had a weapon in hand and N was surprised to see several of them had creatures. Several of them had either Houndour or a Poocheyna.

"Well, they know we're here," N said.

Blyeth nodded and drew her sword as Eevee jumped off her shoulder. All the students followed suit and drew their own weapons, all of them were ready for a fight.

"Get those brats!"

The canyon was soon engulfed with the sound of steel clashing. In between that were explosions of magical origin or from a creature. Due to the fighting, the group separated, but most operated in teams of two. However, N was left by his lonesome. Because of that, three bandits surrounded him. Each had their weapon drawn, and one commanded a Houndour. N clicked his tongue in frustration. His Zorua did not have the advantage against Houndour.

One of the bandits charged and swung his ax wildly making it easy for him to dodge the strike. He used his sword's pommel to strike his attacker's back causing him to stumble. Before he could deal killing blow, the second bandit attacked. He too swung his sword wildly making it easy for him to dodge again. As he turned to strike, his blade was stopped by the other bandit's axe.

He could only wonder why the third bandit had yet to attack, but he could not focus on that, as he had to defeat the first two. Managing to break away from the axe wielding bandit, N took a defensive stance which caused for the sword wielding bandit to move in to attack. The bandit brought down his sword and it collided with N's. However, the bandit put too much force in his strike and as soon as their blades separated, the bandit stumbled. N used the moment to slash across the bandit's stomach, killing him.

His time to breath was minimal, as the ax bearing bandit attacked quickly after. However, N dodged his wild blow again and slashed the bandit on his weapon hand. The bandit dropped his weapon, but drew a dagger from his belt and quickly turned to stab N in the stomach. N tried to bring his sword to block it, but he would be too late.

However, the blow never came. The sound of an arrow flying caught his attention. The bandit dropped to the floor, with and arrow in his back. N looked up and saw Ashe let out a relieved breath.

"Thanks for the save," N called out.

"No problem," Ashe replied as he jogged towards N.

"We still got one left," N said turning to the third bandit.

"Let Treecko and I handle this one," Ashe replied.

N nodded and took a step back.

"The brat's gonna take me on? I'll crush him quickly. Poocheyna use Bite!"

The black furred dog charged towards the green reptile, fangs barred.

"Treecko, dodge it!"

Treeko managed to react fast enough to dodge the attack my jumping into the air.

"Now hit it with Bullet Seed!"

Treecko opened its mouth and green glowing seeds were fired from it. The seeds pelted Poocheyna, causing it to be pushed back. However, the attack was not enough to take it down.

"Not strong enough. Poocheyna, Tackle!"

This time the attack made contact. Despite that, Treecko looked barely phased by the damage it had taken.

"Finish this with another Bullet Seed!"

Treecko once again fired the glowing seeds, pelting the Poocheyna. The black furred dog then collapsed to the ground, unable to continue. The bandit scurried towards it and picked it up.

"I won't forget this!"

The bandit then turned and ran. Ashe was about to give chase, until N placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"You won the battle. Let him go."

"But he was still part of the bandit group," Ashe argued.

"That's true, but you beat his Poocheyna and that was enough to claim victory. You don't need to kill those who do not continue to fight."

Ashe was silent, but he seemed to understand what N was saying.

"Let's go. I'm sure the others should be closing in the on bandit leader by now."

Ashe nodded. "Let's go."

—

Kostas was quick to realize that he was going to be defeated. He had to figure out a way to get out of the situation with his life. He scanned his surroundings before his gaze landed on the girl that had beaten him last time. He gritted his teeth and the his grip on his ax tightened.

"C'mon Machoke, we gotta get our revenge," Kostas growled.

His reptilian partner growled in response as he followed his master.

Byleth pushed away her attacker and with a swift motion was able to deal the killing blow. She took a second to catch her breath and call out to Eevee. The furry creature scurried towards her quickly. Byleth looked to where she had come from and saw a defeated Houndour which was picked up by its partner.

Byelth was surprised Eevee was able to win without Byleth giving it too many commands. Before she could bend down to pick up the creature, Eevee got into a defensive stance and began to growl. Byleth looked up and saw a Machoke walking towards her. At the Machok's side was the bandit leader, Kosatas. Byleth readied her blade as Kostas lifted his ax.

"I'll enjoy breaking you and your pet," Kostas said with a chuckle. "Brick Break!"

Machoke charged towards Eevee as Kostas charged towards Byelth. Byleth grit her teeth in frustration. It was going to be difficult to give Eevee commands as she fought. On top of that, Eevee was at a disadvantage.

"Eevee, Dig!"

Eevee dug into the ground and narrowly avoided Machoke's attack. At the same time, Byleth blocked on of Kostas' swings. He had her on the defensive in both situations.

"Professor!"

Byleth managed to spare a glance and saw Dimitri running towards her to assist her. She used their separation to jump back in order to close the distance between them.

"How can I help?" Dimitri asked.

"I can handle him. Help Eevee take on Machoke. She's at a disadvantage."

Dimitri nodded. "Let's go, Shinx!"

The electric feline growled in response and followed his partner. Before Byelth could say something else, Kostas charged towards her again. She brought her blade up to defend and the two locked blades.

"When I'm finished with you, I'll crush him next."

Byleth did not respond and continued to fight.

"Shinx, Spark!"

The electric feline's body was engulfed in electricity as it tackled Machoke. When Shinx separated form Machoke, Eevee popped up from the ground and attacked Machoke. She quickly returned to the ground before Machoke could retaliate. Machoke's attention turned to Shinx and growled at the feline, which he returned.

"Surely with the next attack will being it down. Shinx, Volt Switch!"

Shinx charged electricity around itself and launched it as disks towards Machoke. The muscular reptile was hit by the attack and engulfed in electricity. Eevee appeared from the ground again and attacked. Machoke stumbled, but remained standing. Dimitri grit his teeth in frustration and prepared himself for Machoke's attack.

Machoke charged towards the two creatures and with a glowing first struck both creatures. Shinx managed to recovered quickly, but Eevee struggled to get up.

_Damn. This creature is a lot tougher than I expected. It'll take a bit more to-_

"Honedge, Aerial Ace!"

A glowing, floating sword appeared and slashed Machoke dealing more damage than either of Dimitri's.

Dimitri looked back and saw Felix walking towards him, a scowl on his face.

"Does it really take you so long to take down a weakling, Boar?"

"Felix, I-"

"Shut it. I managed to defeat all my enemies in the time it took you to deal three attacks. Let me handle this," Felic said.

"We can take it one together," Dimitri said.

Felix rolled his eyes. "Just don't get in my way."

Dimitri moved next to Felix and picked up Eevee. It was weak, but not defeated. He had to get her to N, but that had to wait. Shinx moved next to Honedge and prepared for battle.

"Shinx, Spark!"

"Aerial Ace!"

Shinx's attack landed first causing for Machoke to stumble back, but it recovered quickly. It tired to land an attack on the incoming Honedge, but the floating sword was unaffected. Honedge's attack landed dealing substantial damage.

Before the two could attack again, Eevee jumped from Dimitri's arms and ran towards the still recovering Machoke. Dimitri shouted for the creature come back, but he was ignored. Energy around Eevee's body began to glow as she picked up speed. Eevee then collided with Machoke, the impact caused for it to fly back and into a rock. As Eevee landed she struggled to stand, but she gave into exhaustion and collapsed.

"What was that?" Felix asked.

"Take Down."

The two students turned back to see N and Ashe standing behind them.

"Take Down is an attack that deals a lot of damage, but the down side it that the user takes damage as well. It seems Eevee learned a new attack," N explained as he walked towards Eevee.

The students watched as he carefully picked her up and cradled her in his arms. He let a relieved sigh after giver her a quick look over.

"She'll be fine. We should get to Byleth. I'm sure her fight is finished by now," N said.

The three students nodded and followed the green haired professor.

"What about Machoke?" Dimitri asked.

"Unfortunately, his partner may not have survived the fight against Byelth. I pity him. Having a bond severed like that will be painful," N said, his gaze downcast.

The three said nothing in response.

—

By the time N and the three students had made it to Byleth, her fight was over. The group gathered by the center of the ruins and with a quick head count, they were all still alive. N let out a relieved sigh, while Byleth did not show it.

N and Mercedes applied healing magic to those who needed it. At the same time, N kept everyone's partner healthy. Luckily, no one was injured too badly. Mainly cuts and bruises. The only one that had bled a bit too much was Sylvain, who took a blow for Ingrid from what N heard. Though nothing healing magic and some of what N packed could fix.

N was greatful that the bandits they faced were not very skilled. Everyone's wounds likely came from inexperience on the battlefield. That was something that would only improve with time.

Once everyone got their bearings, the group returned to their mounts. The walk back was mostly silent and even when the group reached their mounts there was not much talking.

Once everything was set on N's mount, he jumped onto the saddle. Zorua moved from his shoulder to sitting in front of him. He looked up to make sure that everyone was still together and he was surprised to see the Byelth was still not on her mount. He scanned around the area until he found her staring at the ruins. He rose an eyebrow and rode towards her.

"Hey, we're about to head out."

Byleth blinked rapidly as she was broken from her thoughts. She turned to N and nodded. She turned and began to walk towards her mount.

N rose an eyebrow again. The look she had when she was staring was as if she was talking to someone.

As they began to ride, N sped up to keep pace with Byleth. He was a bit worried about whatever she was thinking about.

"Hey, you okay?"

Byleth turned to him and nodded.

"You seemed pretty interested in those ruins," N said.

"They felt familiar for some reason. I can't really place it," Byelth replied.

N rose an eyebrow. "Have you been there before? Before I joined the band I mean."

Byleth shook her head. "Nope. It was an odd case of déjà vu."

"It also looked like you were talking to someone, but you were silent."

"Was I?" Byleth asked.

N sighed in defeat. He was not going to get anything out her. He could not tell if she was telling the truth or not either. He let out a breath and relented.

"It doesn't really matter, I guess."

N slowed down a bit as Byleth rode ahead. He took a look back from where they just were. For him, he felt a cold sense of dread since they had arrived. He wondered why a headache had not happened to him while he was there.

He turned back to face forwards, but the sound of a roar caught his attention. His head shot backwards, but there was nothing there. He rose an eyebrow. The roar did not sound like a creature that was familiar to him. He did notice it was a roar of rage.

"Is everything alright, Professor?"

N turned his head forwards to see that Annette had stopped with him. The others had moved a bit farther ahead.

"I'm fine. Thought I heard something."

"I caught something too. It was like thunder," Annette replied.

N chuckled at her response. He looked back towards the ruins one more time and saw storm clouds rolling in.

"Maybe I just confused the sound of thunder," N said with a sheepish laugh.

Annette giggled. "Didn't know that was possible."

"The same goes for me. We should get moving. Don't want to get left behind," N said.

Annette nodded and the two sped up on their mounts to catch up.

—-

When the group arrived back at the monastery, it was late afternoon. While Byleth tended to her students, N decided to head to meet with Rhea. The two of them were supposed to meet with her after the mission, but N thought it was best for her to remain with students for a bit. His assumption that it was the first time the students were ever involved in real combat was true. Many were a bit shaken by the event. Despite his own aversion to taking life, he had grown used to doing so.

He gave one last glance towards where Byleth and her students had walked towards before moving towards the stair that led to the audience chamber. He took in a breath and opened the door. Waiting at the end of the chamber were Rhea and Seteth. Seteth had his arms crossed and had his usual scowl, while Rhea had a regal and poised smile.

"I'm pleased to see you returned unharmed. I take it the students returned unharmed as well," Rhea said.

"Mostly some bruises and scratches. Nothing a few days won't heal," N replied.

"That's good. I'm glad you all were able to complete the mission without any hardships."

"Speaking of which, where is the Professor? She should be here too," Seteth asked. His tone laced with impatience.

"She's with her students. Most of them aren't used to a live battle where their lives are on the line. Some came back a bit shaken. I'm sure she'll be here soon," N answered.

"Very well then," Seteth said.

N was surprised he relented so quickly. He expected another question or something close to an insult. He assumed Rhea likely said something before meeting that kept him from saying too much.

"You seem distracted, N. Is something the matter?" Rhea asked.

N turned to her, surprised to see a hint of concern on her face. He had only ever seen the usual regal smile. It made him cautious.

"It's nothing to worry about. Just tired is all," N replied.

"I see. Then don't let me keep you. Get some rest. You've earned it," Rhea said, her regal smile returning.

N bowed slightly and excused himself. He took a few steps away from the two before stopping and turning back to them. Rhea's smile remained, while Seteth rose an eyebrow.

"If it's fine with you, I'd like to come by to talk some time. There's something I need to ask you," N said.

Seteth's eyes darted towards Rhea, while he smile widened slightly.

"Of course. You can come by any time," Rhea replied.

N slightly bowed again and, this time exited the chamber. When he reached the steps, he saw Byleth walking up them. The two stopped and stared at each other for a moment without even blinking. Neither of them backed down as they stared at each other. N was the first to give in and blink, leading to a defeated groan. Byleth giggled at N's sounds.

"I can never seem to win those," N said.

"Maybe next time," Byleth replied. "You finished?"

N nodded. "Yup. I think they want to talk to you more than me. How're the students?"

"They've recovered. But it'll take time for them to get used to fighting like that," Byleth answered.

"That's what I thought. How's Eevee?"

"Resting in the room. That fight took a lot out of her. Thanks for looking out for her," Byleth replied.

"I'm glad. I'll give her another look over when I get to the room."

Byleth nodded. "I'd appreciate that. Also, I think some of the students want to talk to you."

N's eyebrows rose in surprise and he point to himself. Byleth chuckled and nodded.

"Huh, guess I'd better not keep them waiting," N said. "Good luck in there."

"Thanks."

When Byleth passed him, he continued his descent towards the main hall. He could feel his stomach growling as he passed the by the dinning hall, but he had other things to do first. He wondered which of the students wanted to talk to him.

When he reached his room, he was surprised to see Dedue standing by the door. He looked like he was guarding it by the way he was standing. His Larvitar looked to be asleep as he held onto Dedue's pants. He could not help but chuckle at the sight.

"Hey, Dedue. What's bring you by?"

"I am here to thank you for protecting His Highness when I was unable to," Dedue said, adding a short bow with his head.

"Well, it is my job," N replied adding a shrug.

"This is two times now you have come to his aid. I am thankful for that."

N placed a hand behind his neck nervously. "Well, the first time was a coincidence." N placed a hand on the student's shoulder. "You don't have to thank me for that. Like I said, it's my job to keep all of you unharmed."

"Of course," Dedue said with a nod.

N smiled and removed his hand from the teen's shoulder. He then looked towards Lavitar, who stared up at the teenaged professor. N chuckled and knelt down. Lavitar hid behind Dedue's leg as N extended a hand.

"He's a shy one, isn't he?" N asked, still trying to interact with Lavitar.

"Yes. It rarely shows interest in anyone," Dedue answered.

"Not 'it', Dedue, he." N corrected.

"'He'?" Dedue asked raising an eyebrow.

N nodded. "Lavitar is male. All the creatures have a gender. Zorua is male, for example." Zorua yipped in agreement. "As is your Larvitar."

Lavitar peeked from behind Dedue's leg and sniffed N's outstretched hand. N whispered something only Lavitar could hear and he inched closer to N. N remained calm and did not move much as Lavitar inched ever closer. When he reached N's hand, N turned it over and placed it on Lavitar's head. It cooed as N slowly pet him. N chuckled, happy he was able to connect with Larvitar.

"You have a wonderful partner Dedue. I can tell you two have been through a lot together. The both of you will only keep getting stronger," N said.

"I am surprised it-I mean, he opened up to you so quickly. It a long time before His Highness was able to get close," Dedue said. His usual monotone was laced with a hint of surprise.

"I was able to speak to him and understand why he's so distrustful of strangers. It's how I know you two have been through a lot," N replied.

N removed his hand from Larvitar's head and slowly began to stand. He chuckled again when Larvitar looked a bit sad that N stopped petting him.

"If you ever wish to speak again, about anything, I'll welcome both you and Larvitar."

Dedue bowed. "Thank you, Professor."

N watched as the two walked away. A pleased smile came to his face as he knew the two had grown closer. Part of him still held a hint of worry about what Larvitar had told him. It was the beginning of a sad tale. It was the reason why he invited Dedue to come talk to him if he ever wanted to.

N took in a breath and put his hand o the handle to open his room. However, his rumbling stomach was a lot louder than before. Part of him wanted to hold out a bit so he could check on Eevee, but he could feel his stomach eating away at itself.

_I've never felt this hungry before, _N thought.

"Guess I should eat first," N said to himself.

"Off to the dining hall?" a voice asked.

N turned to see Edelgard, her Rufflet . It looked like she had just finished extra training.

"Guess you hear me, huh?" N asked nervously.

Edelgard rolled her eyes, but still let out a giggle. She quickly composed herself and put a hand on her hip. "I did. I was just about to go there too. Care to join me?"

N nodded. "Sure, sounds fun."

"Plus, we could talk about how your mission went," Edelgard said.

This time N was the one laugh. He turned to Zorua and asked if he would rather remain in the room. The fox responded by jumping off his shoulder and trying to push the door open. N chuckled and opened the door. He gave a berry from his bag to the fox and instructed him to give it to Eevee. The fox protested, but relented quickly.

N closed the door to the room and walked towards Edelgard. He was quick to noticed the amused smile on her face.

"What?" N asked raising an eyebrow.

"You and Zorua have an interesting relationship," Edelgard replied.

"He's my partner, but more than that my friend," N said.

"Interesting. Shall we?" Edelgard said.

N nodded and two began the walk towards the dining hall. Along the way, N began to tell her about the mission they had just undergone.

**AN: With that, this chapter ends. Sorry for taking so long. Life kinda got in the way. I hoped to have this chapter out a lot earlier, but I went back and changed a lot of it. This chapter is meant to showcase how N acts around the students of the Blue Lions, or in this story's case, the Blue Pyroars. Several of chapter will be like this, focusing on N's growing relationship with all the students. That way, everyone gets screen time. You could also think of them as his supports with the students (maybe I'll map out N's support levels with the characters, that sounds like fun). **

**With all the out of the way, this chapter was uploaded the day after my birthday, so I'm officially 21 years old. I've been on here for awhile now and it makes me feel old in real life. Speaking of birthdays, since N doesn't have a canonical one, I'll make my bday his for this story purposes. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and stay tuned for the next one. If you're enjoying this story, feel free to follow, favorite, and/or review. Also, check me out on Twitter. I post story updates and other stuff there that helps you get to know me a bit better.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Brewing Resentment

In the few weeks since the defeat of the bandits, a new month had arrived and N had expected things to become a bit more easy going. However, just as one problem was solved another was ready to take its place. He had noticed that during one of his lessons with the Blue Pyroars that something was amiss. Everyone looked particularly depressed. Ashe in particular seemed the most distraught of all of them. Normally the grey-haired teen was full of curiosity, but it had been different since then. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but felt that it was not the right time to ask that.

During his free days when he would walk about the monastery, he noticed the heightened security. The amount of guards on duty, the patrols, even the number of knights was increased. All of the knights he would walk past would always give him a sideways glance. N felt like he was back from the place he escaped so many years ago.

When he finally had learned about what was going on, he began to understand why the situation called for such measures. A minor lord from the Kingdom was amassing soldiers to fight against the Church. He went by the name of Lonato. N now understood why the knights were on high alert, and why the Blue Pyroar students were in such a state; in particular, Ashe.

When he was going over all the information on the students when he was first assigned as a professor, he learned about Ashe's lineage. He had been taken in by Lonato at an early age, making him a father figure for the teen.

On one of his walks, he found the grey-haired teen in the Cathedral. When he entered, the grandness of it made him pause. It always did. Seeing the statues of the legendary dragons and the woman always felt like it meant something to him. His eyes would always land white sphere the woman looked to be holding.

He pushed those thoughts aside and walked towards Ashe. His head was bowed and his hands held together in prayer. He could only guess how often he would come to pray. Finding out that someone close to you was planning something evil was something N could deeply empathize with. He took in a deep breath and released it before approaching him. Ashe's Treecko was stuck to his back. N was not sure if it was asleep or praying as well.

As he got closer, N could hear the mumbled prayed. The words left his mouth and an unbelievable speed. He did not even register N's attempt to break him free. Even Zorua playing with his hair would not stir him. It was as if he was in a trance. He let out a sigh as he brought his hand close to his shoulder.

"Sorry about this," N muttered before flicking the teen's shoulder.

Ashe let out a surprised yelp as he was taken out from his prayer. He turned to see N standing next him, a sympathetic smile on his face.

When the two locked gazes, N could see just how unsettled Ashe was. His eyes looked dry and his face was unnaturally pale. It was obvious that the whole situation had him on edge.

"Professor?! How long have you been standing there?" Ashe asked, composing himself.

"Not long. Wanted to talk to you, but you were so focused on your prayer that you did even notice me. It's the reason I had to flick you," N said.

Ashe put a hand on his shoulder, remembering where N had flicked him. "I guess that makes sense, sorry."

He then looked away and to the floor. His moment of surprise was overtaken by sadness again. His once bright green eyes had become dull.

"Why don't we sit down on one of the pews?"

Ashe nodded and followed his teacher to one of the pews. When Ashe sat down, he did not bother to sit straight. His back bent forwards and his head faced the ground. His arms resting on his thighs. Making eye contact with N proved to be a challenge. His Treecko nestled himself next to him. N took a similar position, but chose to remain looking up. Zorua returned to its usual perch on N's shoulder.

N decided to let the silence settle in. He wanted to collect his thoughts before saying anything. He could see just how defeated his student looked out of the corner of his eye. He silently wondered if he returned to his mumbled prayers. N sighed and sat up, he had to at least say something. It was going to be hard however, as what he wanted to say was about his past.

"I know how you feel. The pain you're going through, I've felt it before."

Even with his head still facing the floor, Ashe spared a look out of the corner of his eye. For N, that was enough to make him keep talking.

"I'm similar to you. I too was adopted by someone."

"But I thought you and Professor Byleth were siblings?" Ashe asked, turning to N.

N chuckled. "Nope. Jeralt took me in, but that's a different story."

"I see." Ashe's gaze returned to the floor.

"I never knew my real parents, so when that man took me in I was the happiest I had even been. For those three years, I knew what love felt like."

N smiled as he thought of those memories. The ones he did not repress. Anthea, Concordia, all the creatures that lived in that manor were his friends. He could also see the smile of the man he called father. He remembered meeting Zorua for the first time. But his happiness turned to sadness as he remembered what came next; the memories he kept repressed.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Ashe could see the change in his professor. He slowly began to understand what he was trying to say.

"But that all changed. The man who I thought was someone I could call father, ceased to be so. There were times where I thought it was just a nightmare and I would wake up soon. Wake up to the happy smiles, but that never came. The hope I held out vanished."

N paused. He could feel those repressed memories come breaking through. The dark room he would be sealed in, the growling of an angry dragon, the word failure repeating over and over. It was all coming back to him. Then it stopped.

N looked to his side to see Ashe put a hand on his shoulder. A faint smile formed. It was the same sympathetic smile he had given him. Zorua rubbed itself on N's neck, trying to soothe him.

"I understand. You don't need to continue if you're not going to smile," Ashe said.

"Thanks. My past is hard to talk about, but I want you to know that you can confide in me."

"I will, Professor. Thanks for trying to cheer me up," Ashe said.

"Hold out hope. That's all I ask."

Ashe nodded in response.

"Also, keep between us what I said about my past. It's hard to talk about and don't want others knowing yet," N said.

"Of course. I'm just glad you were willing to tell me, despite the amount of discomfort you went through to tell it."

"Thanks."

Ashe chuckled, causing for N to raise an eyebrow. Despite being somber for most of their conversation, N was surprised to see him managed to laugh.

"What's so funny?" N asked.

"It's just that, I forget we are so close in age. Talking to you it's as if I'm speaking to someone with decades of experience," Ashe answered.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," N said.

"Ah, there you are, Ashe!" a voice said.

The two turned to see a female knight walk towards the two. Next to her walked an odd looking creature. It was humanoid and covered in yellow fur. It had stripes of black around its eyes, arms, legs, and stomach. It had two tails which ended in red tips. On its head were two bulbous antenna. Behind her stood two more knights, hands on the grips of their swords. N rose an eyebrow towards the new arrivals. It was obvious that she was familiar with Ashe, and he with her, but N was not.

"Lady Rhea wants to see you," the woman said.

His somber gaze returned, as his eyes shifted to the floor. N caught it, and stood in between the teen and the woman. Ashe gasped in surprise, while the woman scowled. The creature at her side growled. Zorua growled in response, with Treecko narrowing his gaze.

"I'm sorry, but I'm having a conversation with my student."

The woman narrowed her gaze as she sized up who was in front of him. However, it softened as she slowly realized who she was talking to. Her scowl then changed to a friendly smile.

"Ah, so you're the other new professor I've heard about. The one who teaches about the creatures, right?"

N nodded hesitantly. Her sudden change in demeanor caught him off guard. However, he did lower his guard a bit. He knew this was a Knight of Seiros and they could be trusted, but this was a someone he had not met, so he was still on guard.

"Sorry for the scare. For a second I didn't recognize you. Name's Catherine. I'm a member of the Knights of Seiros. This is my partner, Electivire," Catherine said. She used her thumb to point at Electivire.

Electivire let out another growl at mention of his name. Zorua responded with another growl.

"I'm N, and it's as you said, I'm one of the new professor's here," N said.

"Great. Now that we're all acquainted, I really need to take Ashe to see Lady Rhea. It's important."

N looked back to see Ashe with the same somber expression as before. He did not want him to go, but he knew he had to let him go. Before he moved out of the way, an idea came to him.

"Let me join you. Like I said, Ashe is my student. I'm worried about his well-being, so I think I should be there," N said.

"You don't have to, Professor," Ashe said meekly.

N turned to him and out a hand on his shoulder. His pale gaze shifted towards him and bright green of his eyes slightly returned.

"Yes, I do. I'm worried about you, both as your teacher and as a friend," N said.

Ashe nodded and the two turned to Catherine. She had her arms crossed across her chest. She did not like her patience was running out, but the rapid tapping of her foot gave it away. When she saw that there was not other option, she relented with a sigh.

"If it makes it easier or him to come, then works for me. But Electivire will keep an eye on you," Catherine said.

Electivire seemed to chuckled at the mention of his name.

The two nodded and began the walk out of the cathedral.

—-

The meeting with Rhea went about how N had expected. Seteth making the whole affair seem like an interrogation, with Rhea giving her own input here and there. N was allowed to stay, on the condition he do not speak. Seteth did not want his words to infringe on Ashe's answers. While he understood the attendants logic, it still bothered him he could not speak up.

The questions he was asked were also something he had anticipated. Seteth bombarded the teen with questions about Lonato and his relationship with the man. They asked if he was aware of Lonato's plans and if he would be a part of them.

N wanted to say something right there. He could see how uncomfortable Ashe was getting under the increasing amount of questions that he did not know the answer to. He understood why such a precaution was necessary, but grilling the boy for answers did not seem like the right way to do it. No matter how much he wanted to intervene, the ever vigilant Electivire would growl in his direction. Thought it got to a point where he was not sure if he was growling at him or Zorua, who would not take his eyes off the creature.

When the questioning came to an end, Ashe seemed to visibly relax a bit. Though his shoulders remained slumped and his gaze to the floor. Seteth then turned to N with his usual scowl and disapproval.

"I fail to understand how this situation is of concern to you?" Seteth asked.

N scoffed and crossed his arms across his chest. "He's my student. Of course I am concerned for his well being." He placed a hand on the teen's shoulder, causing for him to jump a bit. "Plus, he's my friend. I don't turn my back on my friends."

Seteth was about to respond, when Rhea raising her hand cut him off. While looking slightly disappointed, he straightened himself in attention.

"I understand your concern for him, and I admire you for that. However, this is an important matter. We can't let personal feelings cloud our judgments during this time. We wanted to make certain of particular questions," Rhea explained.

"Yeah, I got that. But treating him like a liability does not help," N replied.

Rhea nodded. "Perhaps we were being too abrasive." The archbishop turned to the grey-haired teen. "I apologize, Ashe. It was not our intention to cause an unto stress."

"It's fine. I understand," Ashe replied with a hushed tone.

"You're free to leave. We've asked all the questions we needed to," Seteth said.

N bowed his head slightly as turned to exit. Ashe followed close behind him. As they walked out, Zorua and Electivire continued their growling contest. It was as if they were trying to out intimidate the other. N wondered if he wanted to battle the yellow-furred creature.

"Hey, why don't we grab some food? You can tell me stories from your home life," N said.

Ashe nodded. A happy smile coming to his face. "Yeah, I'd like that."

The three who remained in the audience chamber. Once the door closed, Rhea's friendly smile fell, replaced by a more tired expression. Seteth was still scowling, frustrated that N had talked back to him in such a way. Finally, Catherine was trying to calm down Electivire, as the creature was seemingly in a foul mood.

"Lady Rhea, you know how dangerous the situation is right now. He should be watched at all times," Seteth argued.

"What good will that do? You saw him as the questions were asked. It was fairly obvious he knew nothing about this," Rhea replied.

"Probably wanted to keep the kid out of it," Cathrine added before turning back to her partner.

Seteth turned to the knight and watched as she attempted to keep the creature under control. His growling and screeching was not allowing him to think.

"Catherine, what is wrong with it?" Seteth asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"He's just excited. Not sure why, though."

Rhea walked over to the creature and put a hand on its head. The creature seemed to calmed down, but it continued to growl. Rhea chuckled, understanding what the creature wanted.

"It seems Electivire wants to battle N and Zorua. He thinks they're strong," Rhea said.

"A battle?" Catherine asked.

"Indeed. I would satisfy his request," Rhea replied.

Electivire growled in agreement. Seteth took a step forward. Seeing the creature act in such way made him concerned for Rhea's well being. Catherine, meanwhile, laughed a put a hand on Electivire's shoulder.

"Well, if it's a battle you want, then we should get it done. Plus, if he's the professor for battling, he's gotta be good," Catnerine laughed.

Electivire pumped his fist in triumph that his expressions had been understood.

"Let's go find him." Catherine turned to Rhea and bowed. "Until next time, Lady Rhea."

—

"How did I get roped into this?"

N was standing on the opposite end of the battlefield, across Catherine. Her Electivire was raring to go. Electricity circulated around it showing just how ready it was. The stands were filled with students and a few knights as well.

"Well, Catherine barged into the dinning hall and challenged you to a battle. You got peer pressured into battling by everyone in the dining hall. Now we're here," Ashe said.

"It was a rhetorical question, but thanks," N replied.

It all happened so fast that N did not have time to process it. However, based on Zorua's expression, he wanted to battle. N let out a breath and relented. There was no way he was going to get out of the battle, especially with so many people watching.

"Fine. Let's battle!"

"Finally. It'll be simple, when our partner falls the battle is over," Cathrine said.

N nodded in response. He turned to Zorua who jumped off his shoulder and onto the battlefield. He appeared to have a smile on his face. N chuckled and finally understood all the growling he had done.

N looked towards Cathrine, a playful smile was on her face. It was obvious she was ready to fight. N took in a deep breath and focused. He had to focus on winning.

"Show me what you got, Professor!" Catherine exclaimed. "Electivire, Thunder Wave!"

"He's faster?!"

Electivire was engulfed in an electric aura and held his arms out. From them, rings of electricity launched towards the black fox.

"Zorua, dodge it!"

Zorua jumped up and managed to narrowly avoid being struck. N let out a relieved sigh. If Zorua had been hit bit that move, he would have slower than he already was and there was the chance he would not attack. Right now, he needed every advantage. Electivire was the final form of Elekid, which meant his abilities were at their best. N had to deal a lot of damage, while avoiding most of it.

"Zorua, Double Team!"

Zorua's body glowed for a moment as multiple Zorua's sprung froth. Electivire and Catherine tried to keep track of where the real one was, but were unable to. Cathrine decided to not bother and just start attacking.

"Electivire, Thunder Punch!"

Electivire's fists were cloaked with electricity and lunged forwards. He then jumped into the air and when he landed, punched the ground. The stone around him cracked and waves of electricity were launched around him. Several of the Zorua clones disappeared, but the real Zorua remained unaffected.

"Zorua, Snarl!"

Several of the clones let out a screech cloaked in dark energy. The waves hit Electivire and he covered his ears; or where his ears would be. Electivire fell to his knees as the wave of energy continued to hit him. When the screeching stopped, Electivire slowly stood up. While he had taken damage, it looked unhindered.

"I like your style. Trying to give yourself the edge by increasing you ability to dodge and lowering the effectiveness of my ranged attacks is always a viable strategy," Catherine complimented. She put a hand on her hip and sent N a cocky smile. "But ranged attacks, aren't my style."

"What?"

"I like to fight up close and personal. Electivire, Brick Break!"

"Oh shit!"

Electivire's fists were engulfed by energy as it prepared for his attack. His red-eyes darted around trying to find the real Zorua amongst the pack of clones. His eyes then locked onto one and he launched itself toward it. Electivire clasped his arms together and slammed them into the fox. A pleased smile formed on the yellow-furred creature as he made contact.

"Zorua!"

Electivire jumped back and waited for the fox to stand. Electricity coursed around he, showing he was still ready to go.

N wanted to rush to Zorua's side. He wanted to make sure his partner was okay. But they were still in the middle of a battle. Until Zorua was completely out of the fight, he could not jump in. However, he could hear Zorua's voice. Despite the pain, he wanted to continue. He would say that he has never fought such a strong opponent before. While it made N happy he was enjoying himself, his worry continued to grow.

As Zorua slowly began to stand again, N could feel the determination growing within the fox. He chuckled as he felt that determination rub off on him.

"I understand, Zorua."

Zorua managed to stand and let out a proud growl. Electivire responded with a cocky smile, similar to that of Catherine's.

"Let's not hold anything back! Zorua, Dark Pulse!"

Dark energy collected around Zorua's mouth, that was then released in a straight beam. Electivire brought up its arms to defend himself as the attack collided with him. When the attack concluded, Electivire took a step back to steady himself, but he still looked unhurt.

"Not bad. That's quite the attack you got there. But it isn't enough to take down Electivire. Use Thunder Punch!"

"Zorua, dodge it!"

Zorua tried to jump out of the way, but Electivire's fist collided with the fox. The force of the attack caused him to be launched into a pillar. Electivire let out a proud growl as he saw Zorua slump to the floor.

"Look's like this battle is over," Catherine said. A hint of disappointment was laced in her voice.

"It's not over yet!" N called out.

Catherine raised an eyebrow. She was sure that last attack finished it. She was surprised to see Zorua attempting to stand. When the fox managed to get back up, she smiled in delight.

"Color me impressed. That little fox has got some guts. He really is strong."

N smiled. "Yeah, he is."

"Now, hit me with your best shot!"

"Zorua, Dark Pulse!"

The dark energy gathered and was released in a beam. Electivire made not effort to defend himself and took the attack head on. When the smoke cleared, it had taken damage, but it showed no signs of being deterred.

"If you're gonna hit me with your strongest attack, then I should do the same."

N could feel the sweat dropping from his forehead. Whatever he was about to get hit with was bound to be strong. He could only worry if Zorua could take the attack.

"Electivire, use Giga Impact!"

"Giga Impact?!"

Electivire slammed its fists together before being engulfed in a spiraling energy of purple and gold. He then charged towards Zorua at an incredible speed. N paniced and called for Zorua to dodge, but the fox was too weak and could barely move. The attack collided with the fox. The force rocketed Zorua into a pillar, which he slowly slid down.

"Zorua!"

N rushed to Zorua's side. He could hear his voice saying to wanted to continue, but N knew he ran out of strength. He let out a defeated sigh and picked up his partner.

"This battle is over. Zorua can't continue. Electivire wins," N announced.

Electivire let out a victory growl as Catherine let out a pleased chuckle. There was a lot of commotion in the stands. Some were in disbelief that N had lost, while others were amazed at the power Catherine and Electivire had showcased.

N could not help but feel disappointed. While he knew it was a long shot that he could beat her, losing still stung. He looked down towards his Zorua. His breathing had returned to normal, which meant he would continue to slowly recover.

"Not a bad battle, Professor."

N looked up to see Catherine walking towards him, Electivire stomping behind her.

"You gave Electivire quite the beating."

N let out a humorless chuckle. "Thanks, but my attacks barely scratched him."

"Nah, he just shows off like that. Isn't that right?" Catherine asked her partner.

Electivire let out a low growl, which Catherine took as an agreement. The yellow-furred creature lumbered towards N and had his gaze firmly on Zorua.

"You want to battle again, I take it?" N asked.

Electivire nodded.

"We'll just have to get stronger so we can defeat you next time," N said.

Electivire snickered and returned to Catherine's side.

"He and I have been through a lot of tough battles. Don't take it personally that we beat you. Whenever we do battle again, I hope you're a lot stronger than today," Catherine said.

N nodded. "Yeah. We'll be a helluva lot stronger."

Zorua added in a growl that surprised N. He had assumed the fox was still knocked out. Electivire responded with his own growl. N and Catherine laughed, as their partners began to consider each other as a rival.

"Until next time, Professor. I look forward to our next battle," Catherine said before turning to exit.

N let out a breath. With the battle over, he now had to deal with students that likely wanted to talk to him about it. He noticed that Ashe was still by his side. He chuckled at the sigh of it. During the battle he had forgotten he was there.

—-

Lonato walked through his encampment, two knights a his side. His Gigalith walked behind him. He did not have to look far or hear to see just how tired his men were. He had expected the battle against the Church knights to be difficult, but the amount of loyal knights that were lost was not a sight his old eyes were keen on seeing. While the battle had ended in victory, the price for it was steeper than he has anticipated.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see knights being tended to for injuries or repairs to their armors. Those with creatures made sure that the armor on them was still usable and if the creatures remained fit to fight. Part of him wondered if all of this was worth the amount of lives that had been lost, but it was too late to turn back now.

When he reached his tent, he stopped before entering. A cold chill could be felt just behind the curtain. That could only mean one thing: he had a guest. He took in a deep breath and released it before finally entering, with one of the knights entering with him.

At the far end of the tent stood a man. He was bit shorter than average, but what stood out was what he was wearing. He wore a think, dark purple and black winter coat. His hands were adorned with gloves. He was older in age as his hair was white and he had wrinkles under his eyes. On the coat's chest was a symbol. It looked to be a blue lightening bolt running through a letter. Circling around him was a Cryogonal. The sentient snowflake kept a close watch on Lonato and generated the frigid temperature in the tent. At his feet was Weavile. Despite looking relaxed, Lonato knew it was always ready to strike.

The knight at his side reach for his sword, but Lonato stopped him from taking any action. The knight wanted to say something, but the look on his lord's face stopped him.

"Leave us," Lonato said.

The knight hesitated for a moment, but bowed before exiting the tent. Lonato let out a breath and took several steps into the tent to meet his guest.

"It appears you were victorious," the man said. A smile forming on his face.

"Yes. The information you provided proved to be most useful," Lonato replied.

"Well, that just the primary force. There is still the rear guard to content with," the man said.

"I'm aware."

Lonato did not entirely trust the man. He had met him on several occasions as he was usually with the benefactor, but unlike the benefactor, he always looked like he had an ulterior motive. He had to make sure to keep his guard up.

"Though your forces seem to be a lot lower all things considered," the man said.

Lonato tightened the grip of his fist. The man was speaking ill of the dead. That was something he would not stand for. However, he had to stay his tongue. The man was his direct link to the benefactor, thus he had to keep their relationship on good terms.

"While the information you gave us accurately showed the size of their forces, fighting them is another matter entirely," Lonato replied.

"Of course. I understand."

"Why are you here?" Lonato's frustration grew and his tone showed it.

The man rose an eyebrow, but he made no comment on his tone. "Lord Ghetsis requires an update. After all, he is giving you a portion of his personal garrison."

Lonato released a sigh. The need to keep Ghetsis updated on everything was starting to become a nuisance. However, he had to keep him on good terms as well. Without his support, his resistance against the Church would have been defeated already.

"We continue our march towards the Monastery. We should be near it by the end of the month. This is if we do not encounter the rear guard by then," Lonato said.

"I see. Slower than Lord Ghetsis wants, but it'll do," the man mused. "Is there anything else you would like to say?"

"Tell Ghetsis I appreciate his support in this endeavor."

The man chuckled. "I will."

"One more thing, do you have any information regarding the rear guard?" Lonato asked.

A sly smile formed on the man's face. "As a matter of fact, I do. The rear guard of Church knights will be led by Cathrine. It will also be comprised of a group of students…"

The man trailed off. The reaction to students made his smile widen. It seems he already had an idea of what was to come. Everything was going according to plan.

"The students are from the Blue Pyroar house. Feel free to do with that information what you will. I am needed elsewhere. I hope your plight ends in victory," the man said.

In a flash of cold the man disappeared, leaving Lonato by himself with only his thoughts.

—-

The man reappeared in an empty room. The only source of light in it was candles that adorned the room. His Cryogonal and Weavile were sent elsewhere. They were not needed for the time being. He could not help but laugh remembering the face of the old man. He knew Lonato would ask about the rear guard and to see his expression fall was priceless.

"You old fool. You still do not realize you're being used," the man mused.

He then began to take off his clothes. While what he wore was what he was usually seen in, where he had arrived to, he could not wear them. He had a part to play and if he did so correctly, then Ghetsis would reward him handsomely. He chuckled at the thought.

Somehow, in the windowless room, a cold gust of air made him shiver. It was a feeling he had grown used to, but it remained nuisance. He turned to see a young man with long, white hair standing by the door. How he could enter and exit like that, the man would never know.

"Which one are you? Kage?"

"I am Sombra." His voice remained unchanged, which frustrated the man.

The man before him was a member for the Show Triad. Ghetsis' personal and elite guard. From time to time his messengers as well.

"Lord Ghetsis wants a report, Zinzolin," Sombra said.

"I told you to address me as Lord Zinzolin!" Zinzolin exclaimed.

"My master has not said to call you that, so I won't."

Zinzolin seethed at that comment. He was ranked above him within Ghetsis's ranks, but the underling refused to acknowledge that.

"Your report?"

Zinzolin scowled, but relented. "Lonato will be on the move soon. I expected his forces to be defeated by the end of the month."

Sombra nodded. "What of the artifact?"

"The stone is here. It's on display at the cathedral. I'm surprised Lord Ghetsis has not ordered you to steal it yet," Zinzolin said.

"What of the second artifact?"

"I have yet to find it. However, I have a plan in motion to uncover its location."

Sombra nodded again. "My master will not tolerate any further delays."

"He'll have it by the time he's acquired Kyurem. What is the status on that?"

"I am not at liberty to discuss that with you," Sombra answered.

Zinzolin tightened his grip in frustration. The fact that he was not being told how Ghetsis's end to the plan was going was becoming infuriating. How could he tell him to go faster, when the key to plan was not yet in their possession.

"What of N?"

Zinzolin rolled his eyes. "He's still oblivious he is playing his role in Lord Ghetsis's plan. He is weary, however. He does not trust too many people in the monastery. Partly because of that damned Jeralt. He managed to instill something in N."

Sombra nodded again. "I will return soon with your next set of orders."

In a cold gust of wind, Sombra disappeared. Zinzolin quietly cussed him out. He quickly put on a set of white ropes and grabbed a wooden cane. He still had a part to play. His scowl quickly morphed into a friendly smile before exiting the room. When he closed the door, he released a deep breath and the smile looked all the more natural.

"Oh, good evening, Thomas," a student said as they walked past him.

"Good evening, young one," Thomas replied kindly.

As the student passed by his friendly smile fell.

_Soon this place will be reduced to rubble_, Thomas mused.

The thought caused for him to cackle quietly. He had to play his part, for the glory of Ghetsis's plan.

**AN: Finally, a new chapter! Sorry for taking so long with anew update, but life really got in the way. Way too much uni work at times. I wanted to get this chapter out a lot sooner, but hit a small creative road block for a few reasons. The main one was that I forgot that Three Houses followed a calendar system. I did not forget per se, but I had to remind myself about how certain events go. It's been some time since I played the game, so I needed the refresher. The second thing was that I hit a bit of a creative slump. Despite wanting to write, putting word down was hard. Thankfully, I was reminded why I love Pokemon so much with that sick music video the Pokemon Company released at the beginning of October. That video really got me back into writing this story. ****With all that out of the way, I hope you understand why I've been held back a bit.**

**As for this chapter, I hope that twist at the end was something you guys weren't expecting. Zinzolin and Thomas being the same is one of the big changes from Three Houses. Basically, Those Who Slither in the Dark are now part of Team Plasma. Look forward to more Plasma centric chapters in the future. Finally, there's the N part of the chapter. I mentioned that N will slowly reveal his past to everyone, right now only Ashe knows more specifics than anyone else. I chose Ashe because 1) He's one of my fav characters and 2) I thought that N and Ashe were similar in certain aspects when in came to this point in the story. As for the battle with Catherine, I wanted to show that despite being the battling teacher, N isn't invincible. He will lose to more experienced opponents.**

**With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I got a lot of cool plans moving forwards, so I hope to get chapters out father than before. Stay tuned for the next one! If you're enjoying then feel free to follow, favorite, and/or review. Also, feel free to follow me on Twitter. I post story updates and other stuff there.**

**Now, for something fun! I mentioned in my last AN that I would list out N's support levels with all the characters, so that's what I'm going to do. Like Byleth, he can have supports with every character from Three Houses. Will I get to all of them, probably not. If I don't get to do a certain character, feel free to tell me how you think that conversation with go.**

**Church:**

Rhea: C B A

Seteth: C B A

Flayn: C B A

Catherine: C B

Shamir: C B A S

Alois: C B

Manuela: C B

Hanneman: C B A

Cyril: C B

**Blue Pyroars:**

Dimitri: C B A

Dedue: C B A

Felix: C B

Ashe: C B A

Ingrid: C B A S

Sylvain: C B A

Mercedes: C B A

Annette: C B A S

**Golden Stantlers:**

Claude: C B A S

Hilda: C B A

Marianne: C B A S

Lorenz: C B

Raphael: C B

Ignatz: C B A

Leonie: C B

Lysithea: C B A

**Black Staraptors:**

Edelgard: C B A S

Hubert: C B A

Bernadetta: C B A

Dorothea: C B A

Ferdinand: C B A

Petra: C B A S

Caspar: C B A

Linhardt: C B A S

**Ashen Wolves (Not gonna spoil what they're called yet):**

Yuri: C B A S

Hapi: C B A

Balthus: C B

Constance: C B A S

**So that's basically how I think N's support conversation would go. If I'm missing anyone feel free to tell me. Again, I probably won't be able to get to every character, but I'll try my best. With how I'm planning this story to go, I just won't be able to. Also, this is just for fun and how I think it would go if N was in the game. Maybe you think differently from me, and I'd love to hear how you think N's support chains would reach. Until next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Learning

N sat at the desk in the room he shared with Byleth. It was quiet, as most last days of the month had been as of late. All the houses were off on their assigned missions and would not return for some time. As such, the monastery was quiet. The liveliness that N had become accustomed to was no longer present. While it would not last long, it felt odd to not hear it.

He had decided to spend most of the day planning his next lessons. He had covered everything he wanted to about attacks, so the question was now what to teach next. He wondered if he should go with traits, or abilities as he began to call them, or focus more on a creatures individual values, which he decided to call stats. While abilities were something more concrete, stats were a bit more abstract needing more of a lecture environment for his class. He had managed to avoid using lectures for his first few lessons, but it would need to happen at some point.

"Plus, stats factor into how strong certain attacks will be. So the students have a good baseline on what they are," N mused aloud.

The suddenness of his words caused for Zorua to jolt upright, which startled N. He let out a yelp causing for his knees to hit the bottom of the desk. Papers began to fly all around them. He clutched one of his knees to try and soothe the pain, but the motion caused for him to lose balance, leading him straight to the floor.

"Ow," he muttered.

On the bed, Zorua began to snicker, causing for N to frown.

"Ha, ha, very funny," N said to the fox.

He slowly sat up and began to pick up papers. Zorua jumped off the bed and helped as well, using his paws to push papers towards his partner. N chuckled and pet his partner. Once everything was picked up, N put the papers back on the desk in a neat stack. Deciding to properly organize them later.

Before sitting down again, he stretched his arms into the air. He could hear his joints popping a bit as he did so. He had not realized how much tension he was holding within his body. He let out a breath and sat back down. He still had lesson plans to complete. Luckily, those papers had not flown off the desk. He looked at both and let out a sigh.

"Guess I'm doing lectures for a few days."

While he knew stats would not be the most interesting thing to cover, but the basics of them were still important. He stored the abilities lesson plan in folder and set it aside. He began to write down all that would be important for this lesson.

"Attack is the most obvious one, as well as speed," N mused as wrote down ideas. "Then there's defenses to both physical and ranged attacks."

He wrote down everything he could think of that would be important to talk about. He would glance towards Zorua to remember certain aspects that he may forget. During one of his glances, he noticed how Zorua kept trying to get under the bed. He rose an eyebrow and pushed himself away from the desk.

"Zorua, what're you doing?"

Zorua yipped in response before returning to whatever he was doing.

"Are you trying to find something?"

Zorua yipped again. This time with a bit of affirmation. N's eyebrow rose a bit higher as he stood up from the chair.

"Let me take a look," N said as he knelt down next to the fox.

He peeked under the bed and could barely make out a piece of paper within the darkness. N sat up and Zorua quickly took over N's position trying to grab the paper. N could not help but chuckle. Zorua was very determined to get the paper.

"Alright, I'll get it," N said.

Zorua yipped happily and moved out of the way. N reached under the bed and grabbed the paper. When he did, he pulled his arm back. N wondered what the fuss with the paper was about, but was surprised that the page was blank. He rose an eyebrow and flipped it around. His eyes widened when he saw what was on it. It was the symbol he had seen in Hanneman's office; his crest.

N slowly stood up, ignoring Zorua's concerned yips. He set the paper down on the desk and sat down again. He had not necessarily forgotten the symbol, but it was not at the forefront of his mind like before. He set the paper down and sat back in the chair, letting out a breath. He remembered the hours of research he had done in the library, but it was not necessarily about the symbol.

He then quickly sat up and grabbed the paper. He held his arm out as the symbol for Zorua to climb onto his shoulder. While the fox was a bit confused as to what was going on, he jumped onto his partner's shoulder nonetheless

"We're going to the library, buddy," N said.

—-

The library was empty as it often was. N was surprised that Linhardt was not asleep at one of the tables like last time. Even Thomas was nowhere to be seen. N took it as a good sign and began to peruse through as many book as he could in the library. He picked up as many as he could about the legendary dragons, the history of crests, and a catalogue of them. When he managed to get a heavy stack he moved to one of the tables and set them down, the sound echoing in the empty library. Zorua's sensitive ears picked up the sound as louder and cowered under the table.

"Sorry, bud," N said with an apologetic expression.

He sat down and began to pour through the crest catalogue first. Zorua hopped onto the table and began to sniff the books. He then chose a book based on smell and tried to open it. N noticed and chuckled. He was happy the fox was trying to help.

"Let me help, buddy."

N opened the book and Zorua let out an appreciative yip. The two then became engrossed in the books in front of them. However, N was not sure if Zorua knew what he was looking for, but he appreciated him trying to help.

He read about each crest carefully, making sure not to miss anything. Even if the crest was not his, there may be a clue that leads him to what he wanted to find. He also made mental notes about other crests that were of interest. What made him curious about, he could not say.

He was surprised to find the one page of book had been ripped out. While it appeared to not be recent, the fact it had been puzzled him. It made him wonder if it was his crest that had been ripped out. There was no order as to how they were catalogued, so he had not clue as to what it could have been. He turned to the next page, but the nagging feeling about the ripped out page remained.

When he finished that book, he closed it and set it aside. He grabbed the next one from the pile and opened it. This time it was a history of crests book. While he was not sure he would find what he was looking for there, it was still possible.

As he read, Zorua let out a yip. N looked up and saw the fox jumping up and down, with only his front paws coming off the ground.

"Did you find something?" N asked.

Zorua turned to N, a foxy grin on his face. N groaned, thinking the fox had tricked him, but it continued to yip. N looked at the page which the fox had his paw on and noticed a rough sketch of something. He grabbed the book and began to study it.

It was old and faded. The drawing was likely several decades old, maybe older. It outlined a bipedal creature with short arms. On its feet were three clawed toes, while at its arms were just two claws. He was not sure, but the drawing made them look as if they were transparent. The creature had a short tail with three cone-like spikes coming out of it. It had a strange set of wings, with one being longer than the other, but both ended with two spikes. N wondered if the creature could really fly. The creature's head was similar to that of the wings, with one of its horns being bigger than the other; N guessed they were horns. The creature's eyes seemed to be without pupils. Finally its mouth ended as a sharp point.

N had never seen such a creature before. However, the face reminded him of the one in the cathedral. He wondered if that creature and the one in the sketch were the same. He wondered what Zorua had found interesting about the drawing it. It was of a creature, N had no doubt about it, but there must have been something.

Then he spotted what Zorua was trying to show him. It was not the sketch of the creature, but the sketch on the next page. It was of his crest. It was the same as the drawing on the page and the one he had seen. The two dew drops. One with jagged edges and the other with smooth pointed ones. In the middle of the two was a smaller circle.

N tried to read what was written down on the page, but it was in a language he had never seen before. The letters were odd and they all appeared to have a circle somewhere in them. N had never seen writing like that before. He wondered just how old the book was if it had a language he did not know. The same language was on the page with the sketch of the creature.

While he had an answer, it was one he could not decipher. He was stuck, unless he found someone who knew about the ancient language. He tried to remember if he knew anyone that could read it. If anyone he had encountered on his travels could decipher the contents.

His mind drifted to someone. He remembered a woman, with long blonde hair. He blushed slightly remembering her. The woman was beautiful from what he remembered. Within that beauty was a fierceness, and that fierceness was what she used to keep her partner under control. N wondered where she was. It had been some odd years since he had last seen her. She was one of the more frequent people the band encountered on their travels. She called herself a drifter, but he knew there was more to it than that.

"I wonder if I'll get lucky and she'll visit the monastery," N mused aloud.

N dismissed the idea. Someone like her would likely not come to Garreg Mach too often. He decided to make a mental note on how to track her down. If anyone knew about ancient languages and the like, it was her.

He looked over to Zorua, who was looking through the book he had been looking at before pouring through the fox's. He chuckled and pet the fox. He cooed at the sensation of his partner petting his head.

"Thanks for helping out. Couldn't have done it without you," N said.

The fox yipped happily in response.

—-

N had not realized how long he had been in the library, as he woke up to the sound of the church bells ringing. He looked up to see that it was already the afternoon. He had fallen asleep while he read. Zorua had as well. He had curled up next to a stack of books.

"Oh, you're awake," a voice said.

N jumped in surprise, not expecting to hear someone so suddenly. He looked to where the voice came from and saw Flayn sitting by one of the bookshelves. A book rested on her lap.

She giggled at the sight of a startled N. "My apologies. It was not my intention to startle you."

"It's fine. I've been a bit jumpy as of late," N replied, putting a hand behind his neck.

"We seem to meet often here in the library. Some times I half expect you to be in here when I am," Flayn said, a smile on her face.

N pondered the question. This was only the third time he had talked to the girl. He had seen her around the ground, but never spoke to her outside those two times, now third. He turned back to the green haired girl. He clutched a strand of his own green hair. He had noticed how her, Seteth, and Rhea had similarly colored hair as him. He had been curious of that meant something, or was just a coincidence.

Flayn looked up and caught N staring. She also noticed how he was grabbing his hair. When N realized what he was doing, he quickly turned away, slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to stare," N said.

Flayn giggled. "It's fine. Though, I did notice how you grabbed your hair. Is there something on your mind, Professor?" Flayn asked.

"I guess you could say that," N answered.

"If you're wondering about how our hair color is similar, I was curious about that as well," Flayn said.

"It's been something that is at the back of my mind at times. Though, I think it's just a coincidence," N said.

Flayn did not immediately respond. Her eyes quickly shifted between N and something else. To N, it was obvious that is something close by. However, he was not entirely sure.

Flayn realized that N did not hide his ears like she did. They were rounded as well, meaning he had no connection to the ancients that once walked Fodlan. She let out a relieved sigh when she figured it out.

"It probably is," Flayn finally said.

N rose an eyebrow. For a moment it seemed like she was genuinely curious about it, but now it was as if it was unimportant. Though, N had no reason to press for more answers and just chalked up the answer to that question being just a coincidence.

N returned to the book he had been reading before he had fallen asleep. This time it was about the legendary dragons. It was a book he had skimmed through before for his research about the dragons. He wondered if the woman he had thought about before could help him learn more about the dragons as well.

When he reached the end of the book, he let out a sigh and closed it. He sat back and pondered on what he had learned. While he had found some answers, he did not have the complete picture. The information about his crest was written in a language he could not read, and so was the information about the creature. Regarding the dragon's he was basically still at square one. He did not know of their origins, but knew about their exploits in the past. N groaned. He wondered who he had to talk to to get straight answers.

"You seem distressed, Professor. Is something the matter?" Flayn asked.

"You could say that. There's questions that I have that need answering. Yet whenever I find a clue, I have to decode it. It's pretty frustrating," N answered.

"Could I be of assistance?" Flayn asked, setting the book she was holding aside.

"That depends, were you alive 1000 years ago?" N asked sarcastically.

However, to his surprise, Flayn's expression darkened and her gaze fell to the floor. He was not expecting her get so depressed by his words. He wondered if she was actually alive that long ago, but quickly dismissed the idea. No one lived that long.

"I'm sorry. It was not my intention to offend you," N said.

Flayn was silent. She gathered her thoughts and mustered a kind smile as she turned back to N. "It's fine. Jokes tend go over my head at times."

N chuckled, understating a bit better. Though a part of him was still confused. "I see. You and Byleth are similar in that regard."

N was happy that Flayn returned to her more cheerful demeanor, but there was still a distant look in her eyes. However, he still wondered if that was because she knew more than what she was letting on. Whatever the case, it was obviously a difficult topic to talk about, so he decided to approach it carefully.

"Say, do you know anything about the legendary dragons?" N asked.

Flayn put a pensive finger on her chin. "Besides the legends of their exploits, not really."

"Figured as much. This might be a long shot, but do you know anything about a third creature?"

"Does it relate to the legendary dragons?" Flayn asked.

N nodded in response. He also noticed how her expression waved a bit when he asked. There was something she was not telling him. It was becoming clearer that she knew a bit more than just the basics.

"Can't say I do," Flayn said.

N let out a sigh. He was likely not going to get any answers from her. "That's fine. Like I said, you'd have to have been alive 1000 years ago to know the answers."

"Lady Rhea might be of better help than me I would think," Flayn said.

N groaned and sat back in his chair. While that was the best option, going to speak with her always made him feel uncomfortable. He had asked if he could speak with her every once in a while, he was not sure how often that would be. He only wanted to go if he absolutely had to, and right now seemed like one of those moments.

"I guess that's true," N said with a shrug.

"My brother might also be of help," Flayn added.

There it is was again. Whenever the two referred to each other as siblings, something felt off. But N pushed that thought aside to focus solely on Seteth. Just thinking about Seteth's cold glare sent a shiver down his spine. Having to add that he had been speaking to Flayn would be something he did not want to say. However, there was still the possibility that he could have some answers to his questions.

"That's two people that can possibly help. Three if I count her." N's final words came out more as a mumble than anything.

"Who's 'her'?" Flayn asked.

"I guess you heard me," N replied. "It's a woman I met when I was traveling with Jeralt and the band. She knew all kinds of things about the past."

"She sounds very smart."

N chuckled. Calling her smart felt a bit like an understatement. "Yeah, she is. I just don't know where she could be. She's always on the move. Never stays in one place for too long."

"Oh, I see. What does she look like? Maybe she visited the monastery at some point. I've heard my brother mention that travelers stop here often," Flayn replied.

N shrugged. While he was still sure she would not come by the monastery often, it did no hurt to try.

"Well, she's fairly tall, maybe the same height as me. She has long blonde hair and grey eyes. She also wore black clothes from what I remember. She was very bea-" He stopped himself from saying 'beautiful,' but his blush gave away what he was thinking.

Flayn seemed to catch on to what he was saying and smiled just a bit too smugly. "So she's beautiful?"

N nodded sheepishly. His blush becoming a darker shade of red. "That's the besides the point! Has anyone fitting that description been around here recently."

"I don't leave the monastery much, but my brother does. Why don't we go ask him?"

N did not exactly want to see Seteth, but if it helped him get a lead then he was willing to do it.

"Let's go see him," he said begrudgingly.

—

The encounter with Seteth went just about how N was expecting. The anger on his face when he saw him and Flayn enter his office together was an expression he had never seen before. It quickly turned to him just yelling at N for just being around Flayn. He said all sorts of things that N mostly tuned out. Once again, he was wondering if the two were really siblings. Because the way Seteth was yelling at him was almost like a father protecting their child. Not that N knew exactly what that was like.

When the attendant finished, he let out a satisfied breath before turning around and walking back to his desk. He sat down and returned to whatever it was he was doing before the two arrived.

"Now, what is it that you need?" he asked irritably.

"I'm looking for someone, a traveler," N answered.

"Many people come to the monastery for one reason or another. How could I possibly remember everyone?"

"I know. The person I'm looking for is pretty distinct. In fact you share a partner with her."

That seemed to get the attendant's attention as he looked up to meet N's eyes.

"Same partner you say? Not many can handle training a Gible and its stronger forms," Seteth said.

Upon hearing his name, Seteth's Gible appeared from inside a closet in the office. The three present turned to him. He looked at all of them carefully before his eyes landed on N, more specifically, Zorua. N was prepared for a fight to break out, and Seteth too as he tensed up slightly. However, their worries were quickly quelled when Gible let out a happy growl upon seeing the fox. Zorua jumped off N's shoulder and greeted the land shark.

"Seems like they're friends," Flayn said with a giggle. She walked over to the two creatures and pet them both.

"Be careful, Flayn," Seteth said.

"Don't worry. I'm sure the Professor's Zorua won't do anything," Flayn replied.

N chuckled. "I'd be more worried about Gible doing something."

That comment earned a glare from Seteth. There was just no winning with him.

"Back to the previous topic. This woman, she had a Gible or one of its transformations?"

N nodded. "Garchomp to be specific."

Seteth closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and sat back. N could only guess if he was thinking if he had seen a woman with a Garchomp before. He did not set his expectations too high, as he still thought she would not be around the monastery.

Seteth then let out a breath and sat back up. His eyes slowly opened as he did so.

"The village at the base of the mountain. I saw a Garchomp roaming there a few days ago. I did not see a woman, but Garchomp usually never leave their dens in the mountains. It was likely someone's partner. Maybe you'll get lucky and it'll be the person you're looking for."

N could not believe it. She was actually close to the monastery.

"Thank you, Seteth," N said bowing his head slightly. "I'll be taking my leave."

"Yes, yes, just stay away from Flayn," Seteth said.

"Please, brother. The Professor is a good person," Flayn replied.

N was thankful that Flayn was a bit more understanding than Seteth. He relented a bit because of her words, but his stern expression remained.

"Thanks for the help, both of you," N said as he turned to leave. Before he exited he turned once more. "By the way, Flayn." The girl perked up at the mention of her name. "Just call me N." His words ended with a kind smile "Let's go Zorua!"

The fox jumped out of Flayn's arms and rushed towards his partner. Seteth glanced towards the girl, but at his angle he could not see her face. Which Flayn was grateful for as her face had gone beet red.

—-

By the time N had made it down the mountain, the sky was beginning to turn red. It would soon be sunset. He asked around to whoever passed him by if they had seen a blonde woman with a Garchomp. Some replied no, while other said someone fit that description was seen a few days ago.

He had expected the outcome when everyone began to say similar things. It was entirely possible that she had already left. He was running out of day light and people to ask. His one lead was going to disappear.

After a bout an hour of asking around the town square, he sat down on a bench and let out a breath. He was just about ready to give up.

"There's no way I'm gonna find her. She's probably long gone by now," N mused aloud.

Meanwhile, Zorua watched his partner. He growing look of defeat was causing for concern to grown within him as well. Just when he was about to jump onto the bench, his ears perked up. It was a faint sound, something that no doubt only he could her. He yipped at N and tugged on his pants, trying to get his attention.

"What's up Zorua?" N asked.

Zorua yipped and turned to the direction where he had heard the faint sound. N tilted his head trying to decipher what the fox was saying. He was saying so many things at once that he could not figure it out.

"Slow down. What are you trying to tell me?"

Zorua yipped again and faced the direction he pointed to before.

"You heard something coming from that direction?"

Zorua nodded and yipped happily that he had finally figured it out.

"Alright then, let's see where this leads," N said.

He stood up from the bench and followed the fox. As they neared the outskirts of the village, N could hear an odd sound. It was almost as if rocks were smashing against each other. He wondered with two rock-type creatures were fighting, but none lived in a forested environment from what he could recall.

As they got closer, the sound got more pronounced and, finally, the reached a clearing in the forest. Zorua yipped and jumped onto N's shoulder. As he got closer, he saw what was making the noise; a Garchomp.

N felt relief wash over him. The person he was looking for had yet to leave. He pushed through the small bush and entered the clearing. He was about to call out to the Garchomp, when the land shark turned towards him and sent a barrage of rocks his way.

"Oh crap!"

N ducked as the rocks flew over him. He looked up to see the Garchomp was in a defensive stance, awaiting further instructions.

"You know, it's not wise to sneak up on a Garchomp," a female voice said.

N sat up and saw a woman in black with long blonde hair. He let out another relieved sigh, it was actually her.

The woman stared at the new arrived for a moment. She was quick to pick up on his green hair, but what stood out was the creature perched on his shoulder; a Zorua. She put a hand on her chin trying to remember where she had seen the same thing. She then opened her eyes in realization as to who was standing in front of her.

"Kid, is that you?"

"Hey, Cynthia, it's been a while hasn't it?" N asked sheepishly.

Cynthia walked toward him, Garchomp close behind, and greeted N with a slap on his shoulder.

"It certainly has. A few years probably. What're you doing here? I thought Jeralt avoided this place like the plague?" Cynthia asked.

"Funny story…"

N quickly explained the situation as to how he had gotten to Garreg Mach. For her part, Cynthia did not say anything in regard to his story as he told it. She did look impressed when he said he was teaching at the monastery, and that made N blush slightly.

When N concluded his story, Cynthia took a minute to process everything. Meanwhile, N tried not to stare, but she was still as beautiful as he remembered. It was almost as if she had not aged at all.

"Guess things can change in just a few years. But look at you, a professor. I can see it," Cynthia said, adding a laugh.

"Thanks. It all happened so fast, but I've gotten used to it," N said.

"So, how's Zorua?" Cynthia asked as she pet the fox on his shoulder.

"Lost a battle recently, but other than that, fine," N said as Zorua let out a satisfied coo.

"That'll teach 'em," Cynthia said with a chuckle. "I can tell this wasn't a coincidence. What made you look for me?"

"Still as observant as ever," N said. His expression quickly morphed into a more serious one. "I need your help deciphering some old text. I know that's your area of expertise, so I wanted your help. I'm just very lucky you were in town. Thought you'd avoid this place as well."

Cynthia shrugged. "Normally, yeah, but this was the closest town on the route I'm taking."

"That makes sense."

"So, what do you need me to decipher?" Cynthia asked.

N took out the book he was carrying in his bag and opened to the page of the sketch of the creature. She took it and examined it closely, but she quickly closed the book and handed it back to him.

"Let's go somewhere with better light. It's getting dark," Cynthia said, her tone becoming a lot more serious.

N nodded and followed her back into town. As they walked, N noticed how everyone steered clear of her and Garchomp. Going out of their way to not stand too close.

_She's still just as intimidating I guess, _N thought. He turned to Garchomp, who looked equally as intimidating, if not more. _Or maybe it's just Garchomp._

The two turned down an alley and made it to an old door. On top of it hung a sign that only said inn. N guessed this was where Cynthia was staying. Cynthia opened it and entered, with N following close behind.

"You're back? I thought you'd be gone by now," a voice said.

N turned to see an old woman sitting behind a desk; likely the innkeeper. Cynthia flashed her a kind smile and flicked a coin onto the desk. The old woman rose an eyebrow, but took it nonetheless.

"Need to stay one more night. Something came up."

The woman looked behind Cynthia to see N. He tried to act normal, but the old woman's gaze was hard to ignore. She chuckled and turned back to Cynthia.

"Isn't he a bit young?" A sly smile formed on the woman's face.

N's entire face went red, while Cynthia remained mostly composed. The woman then gave her a key and Cynthia took it without a word. She motioned for N follow and he quietly shuffled out from the gaze of the old woman. When they were out of ear shot, Cythia turned to him and gave him an apologetic smile. Which caused for his face the heat up even more.

"Sorry about the old hag. She tends to say things like that," Cynthia said.

"It's fine," N said. His voice very high pitched.

When they entered the room, N quickly sat down and buried his face in his hands. What the woman had said replayed in his mind over and over. It got more and more embarrassing with each repetition.

Meanwhile, Cynthia chuckled. She was aware of N's affection towards her, but the fact he had become so embarrassed after that one comment made her think a part of him was still a kid.

"So much for maturing quickly, right?" Cynthia joked.

"Please stop. I can only be embarrassed so much tonight," N said. His voice coming out slightly muffled.

"Glad to know you're still a kid," Cynthia said. "And if we're gonna talk, you're going to need your eyes."

N let out a muffled sigh and removed his hands from his face. He looked up to see Cynthia taking off her black coat, revealing the loose white shirt she wore underneath. N turned away, the red returning to his face. Zorua, meanwhile, got comfortable on the bed, while Garchomp sat in a corner of the room munching on some fruit Cynthia had bought.

"Okay, show me the book."

N nodded and took out the book. He handed it to Cynthia and she began to skim each page, not spending longer than a few seconds on each one. Some pages she spent a bit more time on than others. N wondered if it was because she was trying to decipher the strange language on it. She paced around the room as she looked the through the book.

"I can tell you for sure that this book is old as hell. I'm surprised its in such a good condition," Cynthia said. Her eyes firmly on the book.

N nodded in agreement. " I thought so too."

"As for the language it's written in, this hasn't been seen in over 1000 years. This probably predates the legendary dragons," Cynthia added.

N's eyes widened in surprise. He knew the book was old, but that old seemed almost impossible to him.

"Can you read it?" N asked.

"I'm a bit rusty, but I can make out certain words. What were the pages you wanted to know about?" Cynthia asked, looking up from the book.

She handed the book back to N and he quickly, but carefully, turned pages. When he landed on the sketch of the creature he stopped.

"These two. The creature and the symbol," N said, handing her the book back.

Cynthia took the book and carefully looked at the words. She had noticed how above the sketch there was faded out work, but still legible. She sounded the symbols out aloud in order to better hear them.

"Kyurem. I believe that's the name of the creature. Never heard of it. Have you?" Cynthia asked, turning to N.

He shook his head. "No."

Cynthia hummed something before turning back to the book. She said aloud what written under the sketch, but certain words seemed to elude her. It was frustrating to not know what the everything was about, but the words she could read gave her a basic idea.

"From what I can tell, Kyurem and ice are closely intertwined. It's possible that it's made out of ice or can control it. Some of the words are too faded to make out. There is also the word sleep, but not sure what that could mean," Cynthia explained.

N nodded in response. He now knew two things about that creature, its name and, possibly, its type. He wondered just how old the creature was if the book was older than 1000 years. He did not have much time to think on it as he wanted to know about the symbol.

"And the symbol?"

Cynthia turned back to the book and read about the symbol. She did the same as she did with the page about Kyurem and sounded out the words she could make out. The word she picked up on made things begin to click in N's head.

"The symbol has something to do with both fire and lightning. It's supposed to represent the balance between the two. Not sure what the small circle mean though, that parts too difficult to make out. Its name is faded to hell, though." Cynthia turned to N. "What' so important to you about the symbol anyway?"

"Because it's also my crest."

Cynthia closed the book and took in a breath. She then turned to N. "You have a crest?"

N nodded in response. Cynthia let out a sigh and sat down on the bed. Sitting across from N, she leaned forwards. Two sets of grey eyes met. Cynthia's were analyzing something while N's desperately wanted answers.

"But you aren't a noble."

N nodded in response.

"How the hell do you have a crest then?"

N shrugged. "I don't know. I found out about it just last month."

Cynthia sat up, still trying to take everything in. While she had a better understanding as to why N needed answers, she was still confused as to why N needed them.

"What are you trying to learn, N?"

N let out a humorless chuckle. "I don't have a damn clue. What I do know is something is stirring. I can feel it. Whatever it is, it's taking its time."

"I agree with you on that one. The Empire's movements are strange. It's almost as if they're preparing for war. With who, I don't know," Cynthia said crossing her arms. "But what does that have to do with that symbol and Kyurem?"

"It has to do with my past. That's the best theory I've got," N said.

Cynthia stood up and began to pace again. She put a hand on her chin as she let her thoughts race. She tried to piece together all the clues, but nothing would come up. She turned back to N, who still looked desperate for answers.

"Tell you what, let me keep the book and I'll try to decipher more about it. I'll send you updates on what I've deciphered as I go along," Cynthia said.

"On your travels I'm assuming?"

Cynthia nodded in response. "You've gotten me curious about this stuff. Maybe traveling will give me a clue as to your crest and whatever the hell Kyurem is."

"That's all fine, but how will you keep in contact with me?" N asked.

Cynthia chuckled. She walked towards the only window in the room and swung it open. She made the sound of a high pitched whistle that N could barely hear. Then came silence. N wondered what or who Cynthia was calling to, but he quickly got his answer. On the windowsill landed a Togekiss. The creature cooed happily at meeting with his partner.

"Whenever you see Togekiss flying around, you'll know it's a message from me," Cynthia said.

N nodded in understanding. "One last thing, do you know anything about the legendary dragons?"

Cynthia sucked in a breath. "Sorry, kid. I can't help you there. Though, I do know someone who can. There's a village, it's not too far from here, but it'll still take a few days, there lives an old man. He knows the most about anything relating to dragon-type creatures. If anyone knows, it'd be him."

"Does the village have a name?" N asked.

"Draconis. Very on the nose, I know. It's a few days ride west from here."

N nodded in response. "Got it. Thank you, Cynthia. You've helped a lot."

"Don't worry about it, kid." She looked out the window to see that the sky had become a darker shade of red. "You should probably head back to the monastery. It's getting pretty late."

"Yeah, I probably should," N said as he began to stand. "Come on, Zorua."

The fox jumped off the bed and climbed N's arm to reach his shoulder. N thanked Cynthia one more time before turning to the door to exit.

"One last thing, N."

N turned, blushing a bit at her calling him by his name. However, it quickly disappeared, when he saw her face. She had a kind and understanding smile. It made him feel a bit at peace.

"Good luck. I hope you find what you're looking for."

N nodded, but did not say anything in response. He exited the room, leaving Cynthia with just her partners and her thoughts. She chuckled as she thought about the young man that had just left her room. At first she had thought he had not matured much since they last saw each other, but after seeing his expression as he left, it changed her mind.

"You did good Jeralt."

**AN: Back to back chapters! I haven't been able to do this in years. A lot happened this chapter, huh? The main purpose of this chapter was to further the mystery N is trying to unravel. That being his crest. I have yet to decide a name for it (as is obvious in this chapter), but I'm narrowing down on some names. Also, in this chapter we meet a reoccurring character, and it's none other than Cynthia! I thought her interest in Pokemon mythology in the games would be perfect for this story. Her partner obviously had to be Garchomp. Is it really Cynthia if she doesn't have a Garchomp? I decided to give N a crush on Cynthia, mainly for comedy and to humanize N a bit more. Plus, he's 18 years old, he's still a bit of a kid. Cynthia will appear a few more times so look forward to more of that.**

**With all that out of the way, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one! Also, I commissioned art for this story made by SocNau and I think it came out great. Check out my Twitter or SocNau's to check it out! I want to make it the story cover, but the file a bit too big. While you're at it, follow me in Twitter. I post story updates as well as other stuff. If you're enjoying this story, feel free to follow, favorite, and/or review.**


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